


You Have To Be Quiet

by Nobody_Music_19



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Asperger Syndrome, Autism, Autism Spectrum, Autistic Tyler, Autistic!Tyler, Comfort, Concerts, Disability, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fear, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Meltdown, Mental Breakdown, Musicians, Self-Injurious Stimming, Stimming, Twenty One Pilots Reference
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2020-04-24 05:44:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 28,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19166995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nobody_Music_19/pseuds/Nobody_Music_19
Summary: Josh's friend, Mark, invites him to a Twenty One Pilots concert, where he meets a guy who is...different.《《《 A collection of meltdowns 》 》 》*Read the tags*





	1. You Have To Be Quiet

**Author's Note:**

> Decided to write this quick one-shot. Let me know if you'd like me to continue and add a couple more chapter. 
> 
> Don't forget to leave kudos, comments, and check out my other stories!
> 
> Sort of just a collection of meltdowns.

"Come on Josh it will be fun! I'm friends with the lead singer and he's awesome. And I happen to know for a fact that he's looking for a new drummer." 

"Okay fine, Mark, I'll go with you. Now quit bothering me, please!" Josh replied annoyed at his friend. Mark only smiled, "Hey, I'm doing you a favor. I just potentially got you a job, and I know that you and Tyler would get along great. You both have the same twisted sense of humor." 

Josh looked up confused, and Mark must have caught on. "Oh, Tyler's the singer. Yeah, Tyler Joseph, he's one of a kind." Josh nodded, then picked up his water bottle to take a drink. 

"What kind of music does he even play?" Marks face twisted up as he tried to think of an answer, "Look, it's complicated. He plays good music, yeah, it's in the genre of good music. It doesn't even matter what type of music he plays, you'll be more interested in his face anyway." Josh rolled his eyes, before Mark continued. 

"The show starts at 7:00p.m. so we'll probably leave around 6:00p.m. I want to introduce you to Tyler before the show starts." Josh nodded again, "Okay, Mark. Just tell me when I need to get in your car. I'm going to take a nap." 

》》》》》

Traffic was bad, so Mark and Josh arrived at the venue at 6:52p.m. "We don't have time to talk to Tyler before the show, but we can meet up afterwards." Josh rolled his eyes again, "You sure are good at planning stuff." Mark slapped his arm receiving a 'hey!' from Josh. 

After a few more minutes a couple guys walked onto the stage. Josh's eyes widened at the guy who walked up to the microphone. Mark didn't lie, that guy was attractive. Although, he was wearing, what Josh assumed were sound blocking headphones, most likely to protect his hearing. It did look kind of dumb, especially because none of the other guys were wearing them, but Josh easily looked past that because the guys face made up for it. Josh turned around and was surprised by the amount of people who actually came to the show, there had to be at 80 people crammed in the small venue. 

There was no introduction before the music started playing, and Josh wasn't going to lie, he liked how it sounded. Mark didn't know what he was talking about, the song easily fit into the alternative genre.

"I don't fall slow like I used to  
I fall straight down" 

To say Josh was surprised by the voice coming through through he speakers would be an understatement. That guy could sing! He found himself nodding his head to the song, he really liked it. Josh suddenly found himself a lot more excited for the rest of the show compare to when they arrived. He clapped along with the rest of the crowd when the song ended, anticipating the start of the next song.

That one had a slightly different feel to it, but Josh still liked it, a lot.

"Now is the climax to the story  
That gives the demons and angels purpose" 

Josh listened intently to every word, as he quickly figured out that this guy could write. He wondered if he had any help when it came to the lyrics of their songs. Josh's jaw hit the floor when Tyler started rapping. 

"All we are is and isle of flightless birds  
We find out worth in giving birth and stuff" 

Not only could this guy sing, but damn could he rap! Josh stared at Tyler the entire song, and noticed how his head, and especially his arms would twitch every now and then. He knew how to put on a performance. 

Josh decided in the middle of the eighth song of the set, that Twenty One Pilots was his new favorite band. He couldn't get over how well written all the songs were, and he watched in amazment as Tyler put his heart and soul into every word and he practically screamed. 

"I'm only at it again, as an addict with a pen who's addicted to the wind  
As it throws me back and forth through the spineless and the pretend  
Of course I'll be here again! See you tomorrow but it's the end!  
Of today end of my ways, as a walking denial  
My trial was filed as a CRAZY SUICIDAL HEADCASE!  
Well I specialize in dying, you hear me screaming father  
And I'm lying here just crying  
So wash me with your WATER!" 

It was in that moment that Josh decided that he wanted, no, NEEDED to hear that song again. He was completely mesmerized by the entire performance. He was starting to understand why Mark had trouble labeling them as a specific genre of music. The only similarity between any of the songs would be how well written the lyrics were, and how amazing the vocals sounded. And even then, he couldn't fit individual songs into genres that described them, well. 

One thing was for sure, Twenty One Pilots was a unique band, with an even more unique sound. To say Josh was disappointed when the last song was announced, would be understatement of the century. He could easily stand there and listen to them play for another five hours. 

"This is going to be the last song we play tonight, I really hope you enjoyed the show! This is a new one, it's called "Trees". As the music started, Josh decided that the song, yet again, fit into a whole different genre of music. It was good nonetheless, but very different from all the previous songs played. 

The lyrics of the song were phenomenal, and Josh found himself holding onto every note, until the last. He could feel the drum echo in his chest, and watched in awe as two drums were brought off the stage to be held up by the crowd. 

Josh watched the giant smile form on Tyler's face, and the twitching of his arms as he grabbed the drumsticks and waited for the beat to drop. Tyler and their drummer played simultaneously to the beat, and Josh felt the entire atmosphere of the room change. 

Twenty One Pilots knew how to put on a show, "Thank you everyone! We have CDs and merchandise available in the back, as well as on itunes if you liked what you heard. We're Twenty One Pilots and so are you, goodnight!" Josh clapped along with the rest of the crowd, and made a mental note to purchase a certain album that night.

"Josh come on, we have to go argue with the security guard, now." He followed closely behind Mark as they approached the security guard in front of the door that led to backstage. Josh zoned out for as minute, only listening when he heard Mark raise his voice, "I promise we are friends with Tyler, he told us to meet him backstage afterwards. Come on man, we do this everytime. Look I'll call him!" 

Mark then pulled his phone out of his pocket, and scrolled through it before placing it next to his ear. "Hello? Yeah, your security guard won't let us past the door. Okay thanks." A couple seconds later the door opened, revealing a sweaty Tyler who was still wearing the ridiculous headphones. 

"Charles, we've been over this before. Make a mental picture of his face, Mark is allowed backstage," Tyler said addressing the security guard. He then stepped aside, and Josh followed Mark and Tyler backstage. "The rest of the band went on a taco run, they'll be back in a little bit," Tyler said as they walked. They walked into what appeared to be a small dressing room, and Tyler plopped down on the couch. "Tyler, this is Josh. He's the drummer I've been telling you about." 

Tyler then slowly, and carefully took the headphones off his head, and placed them on the couch next to him, "Nice to meet you Josh, Mark says you're a pretty awesome drummer, you have to show me what you can do sometime. Our current drummer is leaving, and Mark says you'd be the perfect man for the job." Tyler said, looking at Josh's shirt, not once making eye contact. 

Josh smiled at Tyler, "I think that would be awesome. I love your music! Do you write the lyrics?" Tyler looked up at Josh's hair grinning, "Thank you, and yeah I write the lyrics." Mark looked between the two, trying to figure out if he should step in or not. "You're a crazy good writer dude," Tyler smiled at him again, "Thank you." 

Marks phone started ringing, "Oh, I gotta take this. I'll be back in a second." Tyler nodded as Mark walked through the door that led outside, then started looking around. "I left my water bottle on stage, I'll be right back." Josh jumped up, "I'll go with you." 

Josh then followed Tyler back out to the stage, and his eyes landed on the drums. Without thinking he sat down at the drums, and started to play a song, figuring he might as well show Tyler what he can do. However, when he looked up, Tyler was crouched down with his hands firmly over his ears and his face scrunched up, eyes closed. He immediately stopped and quickly made his way over to Tyler. 

"Tyler?" He asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. Tyler immediately flinched away from the touch and his hands left his ears for a split second as they flapped by his head, before making their way back over his ears. 

Mark then walked into the room, "I wondered where you guys went. Hey, what happened?" He asked as he made his way over to them. He crouched down in front of Tyler, "Hey, Ty?" Tyler didn't move, his eyes still closed. "Josh, go grab his headphones off the couch." Josh didn't ask questions as he made his way back into the room they came from. He quickly grabbed the headphones off the couch, and jogged back to the stage. 

He approached Tyler and Mark, and handed him the headphones. "Ty, I have your headphones." Why he didn't get a response, he carefully pulled the headphones apart around Tyler's head, and nudged his hands off his ears. Once the headphones were over Tyler's ears, his hands flew up and covered the plastic as a barrier. 

All Josh could do was stare, this was not how he planned meeting Tyler would go. Josh looked at Mark as if to say, 'what the hell is going on?' All Mark did was shake his head and mouth, 'later'. 

After a couple more minutes Tyler opened his eyes, and slowly shifted his gaze upward. "Are you ready to get up off the floor?" Mark asked slowly. Tyler nodded and started to stand up, Mark knew better than to assist him, if there was one thing Tyler didn't like, it was being touched. 

Once Tyler was standing he mumbled, "S-Sorry," to no one in particular. "Tyler, we've been over this, it isn't your fault." He nodded, and kept his eyes on the floor. Josh noticed Tyler's hand was continuously running back and forth over the stitching on the hem of his shirt. Josh then turned around and picked the water bottle up off the floor, remembering that was why they went on the stage in the first place. He walked over and handed the bottle to Tyler, who took it and said, "Thank you," still not making eye contact with Josh. 

Mark let out a breath, "Okay, let's head back to the dressing room, it's a little less hectic in there." Mark walked first, followed by Tyler, then Josh. Once they made it to the dressing room, Tyler sat down on the couch and placed the water bottle next to him, after adjusting the position it was in several times. "Do you want anything out of your bag?" Mark asked standing close to Tyler. He nodded, so Mark grabbed Tyler's backpack, and placed it on the couch next to him. 

Josh watched as Tyler slowly unzipped the front pocket and pulled out a tangle fidget that had different textured pieces. The room was silent as Tyler sat and twisted the fidget, running his fingers over the raised textures. 

The rest of his band mates then came walking into the room, loudly, laughing about something, but immediately quieted down, and lowered their voices when they noticed the atmosphere of the room. "Hey, Tyler. We got your tacos," Chris called over quietly. Tyler then stood up and walked over to his bandmates, grabbing his food, then walking back over to the couch. 

"Hey we bought extra if you guys are hungry," Chris called over to Mark and Josh. After everyone finished eating, Mark and Josh said their goodbyes, and got all their things together to leave. 

Tyler's arms flapped for a second before he sat on his hands to prevent the action. Mark walked up to him, "Bye, Tyler. We'll see you later." Before they could turn around Tyler spoke up, "Josh, could I maybe have your number, you're a great drummer." Josh's eyes widened, he thought he blew his chance of ever talking to Tyler again. 

"Umm, yeah, sure." They exchanged numbers, and said their goodbyes, then headed out to Mark's car. Once inside the car, Josh spoke in a panic, "What did I do?!" Mark wasn't sure whether to laugh or sigh. 

"You didn't do anything. Tyler has autism. He's more towards the higher functioning end of the spectrum, but he can't really handle loud noises. He's a great guy, super nice, super talented, he just isn't great with noises, or contact." Josh nodded as realization washed over his features, "Is that why he never made eye contact with me?" 

Mark nodded, "He's not great with eye contact, or physical contact. And he has a lot of issues regarding clothing and how the fabric feels. That's really about it, he sometimes has problems with certain smells, and isn't a huge fan of being stuck in the middle of big crowds, but other than that he's completely normal." 

Josh sat processing everything, "Is that why he was like twitching on stage?" Mark looked over at him, "Umm, yes and no. Most of the stuff he does on stage is an act, but he does tend to flap his arms when he's overly excited or distressed. He hates it. I catch him sitting on his hands all the time to prevent it from happening." Josh was a little sad upon hearing that. 

Mark started up again, "Yes, it's something he has, but it doesn't define who he is. If he does ask you to be the new drummer, you should take the offer. He's a great guy, he just needs a little extra help sometimes." 

"Oh, I wouldn't even think twice about taking up the offer, he's a crazy good musician, and will definitely make it far." 

Mark smiled, and nodded, "He truely is one in a million."


	2. The Hooligan Children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I decided to write another chapter due to the amount of people asking for more. 
> 
> !!!!!!!!!IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
> Here's the deal, it wasn't my intention to make this an ongoing story, but I will if you guys help me out. Leave chapter ideas in the comments and I will definitely work them into the story. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave kudos, comments, subscribe (not only to the story, but also to my profile) and check out my other stories!

Josh was sitting on his bed, bored out of his mind. He called Mark and asked if he wanted to go to the mall with him, but Mark claimed he was busy. So that was why Josh was still at his apartment doing nothing. 

Josh unlocked his phone again and started scrolling through his contacts list. He needed to go buy new drumsticks, and a new hat, and didn't want to go by himself. As he scrolled through his phone, he realized how many friends he didn't have. His thumb paused over one name in particular: Tyler Joseph.

Josh hadn't talked to Tyler since the day of the show, which was four days before. Truth be told, Josh wanted to get to know Tyler, but he didn't have an excuse to meet up...until now. 

After a moment of hesitation he clicked on the name, and held his phone up to his ear. He listened to the dial tone until it stopped, and a familiar voice came from the other line, "Hello?" Josh smiled into the phone, "Hey, Tyler? It's Josh Dun, the drummer." Tyler took a second before he answered, "Hi, Josh. What's up?" 

"I am heading out to the mall to pick up a few things, and was wondering if you maybe wanted to come with me?" Josh waited patiently for Tyler to answer, then could hear the hesitation in his voice when he did, "Umm, yeah. What time?" 

Josh pulled his phone away from his ear to check the time, "Well, I'm currently doing absolutely nothing. Sooo, now if that works for you." Josh cringed at how desperate he sounded, after he finished speaking. "Umm, yeah, sure. Should I send you my address?" Josh nodded, "Yeah, just text it to me. I'll see you soon, then." 

Josh went to say 'goodbye' but he heard the end call beeping in his ear. Tyler hung up on him. He wondered if that was something Tyler always did during phone calls, or if it was an accident. His phone vibrated in his hand, and when he looked down it was a text from Tyler, sharing his address. Not an accident then, okay. 

He walked out to his car and got inside, then followed the directions on his phone to Tyler's house. When he pulled in the driveway he noticed Tyler was sitting on the porch, petting a dog. Tyler looked up when he noticed Josh's car, then stood up, grabbed his small backpack, and walked over to Josh's car. Josh quickly turned the volume of the radio down, remembering that Tyler doesn't like loud noises.

Tyler opened the door, and got inside, then carefully placed his backpack by his feet. "And how are you doing on this fine evening?" Josh asked him. Tyler looked out the window then replied, "I'm doing well." 

After that they drove to the mall in silence, aside from the quiet background noise of the radio. Once they made it to the mall, they got out of the car and started walking towards the entrance. "Okay, so I need to get new drumsticks, and a hat. Was there anything you were planning on buying?" 

Tyler was looking at a crack in the road, "Nope." Josh nodded, coming to the conclusion that Tyler liked short answers. They walked through the doors and started making their way to the music store. Josh didn't miss when Tyler's hands flapped by his sides, then quickly found their way to the strings hanging from his backpack. Tyler continued to pull on the strings, then release them, repetitively for quite a few minutes. 

On the way to the music store, they passed by a small store selling hats, "Hey, Tyler I want to check this out for a second." Josh said as he turned around and made his way into the store. Tyler followed him inside, glad that there weren't many people. 

A certain section of hats caught Josh's eye. He walked over and picked two of them up. Both hats had aliens on them. Tyler walked over to him, "I'm guessing you like aliens." Josh laughed, "No, I hate them." Tyler looked back at the hats confused, and Josh coughed embarrassed, "Umm, yeah. Yeah, I like aliens." 

Tyler nodded his head, and Josh made a mental note to not use anymore sarcasm. Josh ended up buying both hats, and they continued on their way to the music store. They made it to the music store, and bought the drumsticks without a problem. The problem started when Josh's stupid self decided to suggest they go get something to eat at the food court. 

They made it the food court, and Josh didn't notice how loud it was, but Tyler did. Josh didn't notice how many people were walking around in all directions, but Tyler did. Josh didn't notice how many different signs were lit up with different colors and different sizes, but Tyler did. Josh didn't notice how many different smells were all colliding and completing with each other, but Tyler did. 

Josh didn't notice a lot of things, but Tyler did. Tyler knew his headphones were tucked away safely in his backpack, along with many different figets he could use to calm down, but he didn't want to take them out, not yet. It was then that Tyler noticed Josh was talking to him, "I'm getting a hamburger at Shoops, do you see anything you want to get?" Tyler's hands flapped for a second before he stuffed them in his pockets and nodded his head. 

Josh looked over at him, "What do you want to get?" Tyler's mind was racing as he answered, "H-Hamburger." Josh looked at him, then nodded slowly, "Okay, let's go get in line." 

Tyler followed closely behind Josh, trying to ignore the burning feeling in his chest from being overwelmed. Josh must have noticed the distress on Tyler's face, because he softly asked, "Do you want to leave?" Yes! Yes, Tyler wanted to leave, but he knew Josh wanted to get food, and he should be able to order food and eat it like a normal person at the mall. 

Tyler shook his head 'no' but Josh wasn't convinced, so he asked, "Do you want me to order for you?" At that Tyler quickly shook his head yes. Josh nodded, and ordered for both of them, then picked up the food when it was ready. "Let's go find a seat," Josh said, signaling for Tyler to follow him. 

They made their way over to a table, and sat down. Josh handed Tyler's food over to him, then layed his own in front of him on the table. A baby was crying loudly a couple tables over from them, and a couple kids were running around. Tyler picked at his food, feeling like he was going to throw up. There was too much going on around him. 

Some teenage girls were laughing loudly about something and practically yelling, whatever they were talking about, at each other. Tyler couldn't help it when his hands involuntary flapped by his head, which of course didn't go unnoticed by Josh. "Tyler, we can leave. I promise it's fine." Tyler only shook his head 'no' again. 

It wasn't until the kids that were running around ran past him, and knocked over his drink did it all come crashing down. Tyler couldn't stop the distressed noise that left his throat, or his hands that flew up to cover his ears to block out the rest of the world. 

He closed his eyes tight and lowered himself onto the floor, attempting to ground himself. Josh was now in front of him, "Tyler, you're okay. I promise you're safe." Josh placed a hand on Tyler's shoulder, and he flinched away as if he was burnt. Josh was quick to retreat his hand away. Another distressed noise left Tyler's throat as a girl playfully screamed at her boyfriend, which was then followed by the tears falling from his eyes. It was all too much, he had no control over the situation.

Meanwhile, Josh was trying to figure out what to do, "Did you bring your headphones?" Josh asked, receiving no answer from Tyler, who had started slightly rocking on the floor, attempting to comfort himself. Josh reached for Tyler's backpack, unzipping the main pocket, and thankfully pulling out a pair of black headphones. 

"Here Tyler, you're okay," Josh said as he placed the headphones on Tyler's head, after fighting with him trying to move his hands out of the way. Tyler's hands flapped by his head, and he yet again let out another distressed noise. 

Josh looked back inside Tyler's backpack hoping to find anything that could help the situation. He pulled out what appeared to be an hour glass, but it was flat, the sand was purple, and it moved up instead of down. He placed it on the floor in front of Tyler, "Hey, Tyler I found something. I don't really know what's it's for, but you have to open your eyes to see it." 

Josh then pulled out the tangle figet he recognized from the day he met Tyler. He turned back around to give it to him, and found Tyler staring at the weird hourglass, with his hands firmly over the headphones. "Do you want this?" Josh asked Tyler, holding the figet out. Tyler didn't respond, just simply removed his hands from over his headphones, and took it out of Josh's hand, then twisted it in his hands. 

By that point they had a couple people staring at them. Josh looked back at Tyler to find him running his fingertips over the textures on the figet. Josh turned the hourglass upside down so the sand would start rising again, then looked up at all the people staring at Tyler. He glared at every single one of them, happy when their faces turned red from being caught staring. 

The mother of the children who knocked over Tyler's drink then walked up to Josh and apologized profusely. Josh told her in a not so polite way that she needs to do a better job of controlling her hooligan children, then sent her on her with a not so nice facial expression. 

They sat on the floor for a little while longer, "Are you ready to leave?" Josh asked Tyler quitely. Tyler nodded, keeping his eyes on the floor. Josh picked up the hourglass off the floor, and put it in Tyler backpack. He then stood up, and started putting napkins down to clean up the pop that spilled on the table, and keeping an eye on Tyler who still hadn't stood up. 

A girl who appeared to be probably around seventeen, walked up to Josh, "I'll clean this up, it's okay, really." Josh went to protest, but she insisted, "I promise, it's okay. Besides, he looks like he's ready to leave," she nodded her head towards Tyler, who was still sitting on the floor with the tangle figet in his hands. 

"Thank you," Josh said, then reached in his pocket and tried to hand her a five dollar bill. "No, it's okay really. This is my job," she said shaking her head. "Your job is to take food orders, not clean up other people's messes." The girl locked eyes with Josh, "My brother has Autism. I understand how hard it can be sometimes, and he is your main priority right now, so you don't need to worry about cleaning this up. I promise, it's okay." 

Josh thanked her again, then somehow managed to get Tyler into his car, and drive him home. Thankfully, Tyler still lived at his parents house, because Josh didn't want to leave him by himself. Josh explained what happened to Kelly, Tyler's mom, and she thanked him for handling the situation so well and bringing Tyler home. Josh then gave Kelly one of the alien hats he bought to give to Tyler, and after that he drove home. 

When Josh arrived at his apartment, the first thing he did was call Mark. He picked up after the second ring, "Hello?" Josh practically yelled into the phone, "Would you like to know what kind of day I had, because you didn't want to go to the mall with me?! And don't say you had plans, I know you made that up!" 

Josh didn't even let Mark talk before he continued, "I went to the mall with Tyler, and it started out fine. I got new drumsticks, and I got a new hat, I said something sarcastic about said hat and Tyler didn't get it, which left me laughing awkwardly like an idiot. None of that was a problem. The problem started when we were eating lunch and he completely freaked out, and cried. I didn't know what I was supposed to do!" Josh then explained everything he did to Mark.

"Josh, you did everything you were supposed to do. You took control over the situation and fixed the problem. Yes, it was pretty damn stupid of you to take Tyler to the mall in the food court of all places, but you handled it well. I'm not surprised he had a sensory overload from everything going on, but you did everything you were supposed to do." 

Josh responded after a couple seconds, "Okay, thanks Mark. I'll talk to you later." 

"You did well today, Josh."


	3. You Should Check Out This Band, They're Pretty Awesome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You should all be glad I had absolutely nothing better to do tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆  
> This chapter is for MiniSchmidty for being so awesome and always commenting, as well as coming up with the idea for this chapter. :)   
> ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆
> 
> The lyrics in this chapter are from "Waiting For The End" by LINKIN PARK (aka the BEST more than two people band to EVER walk the earth)   
> If you haven't heard of the song, stop what you're doing (this chapter will still be here when you get back) and listen to the song IMMEDIATELY.
> 
> If you haven't heard of the band, we are no longer friends, have a good day.

It had been twelve days since the whole incident at the mall, Tyler hadn't contacted him once, and Josh was starting to believe he blew his chances of being the new drummer for Twenty One Pilots...Or just friends with Tyler in general. 

Josh's phone vibrated on his nightstand. He picked it up and saw that he had a text message.

ONE NEW MESSAGE: Tyler Joseph: Are you busy today? 

Josh nearly dropped his phone as he read the message over, and over, and over again. He typed back a reply as fast as his thumbs would physically let him.

ONE NEW MESSAGE: Josh Dun: No, why?

ONE NEW MESSAGE: Tyler Joseph: Auditions to be the new drummer of Twenty One Pilots are starting at 12:00 p.m. at my house. 

Josh didn't even respond as he looked at the time, seeing it was already 11:00 p.m. and almost fell off his bed trying to get to his shower. He got out of the shower twenty minutes later, threw on some clean clothes, grabbed his phone and drumsticks, then headed out the door. 

Josh arrived at Tyler's house five minutes before twelve, and he noticed a couple other guys in the yard. There was a full drumset set up in the driveway, and a table in the garage with four chairs facing the drums. 

Tyler and his three bandmates then walked out of the house, and approached the group of people auditioning. Josh quickly got out of his car and jogged over to the group. A guy started talking, who Josh thought he remembered was named 'Chris'. Josh was glad to see that Tyler was already wearing his headphones, because he didn't want a repeat of their last two encounters.

"Okay, so here's how this is going to work. You're all going to come up individually and play what you think showcases what you can do, then I'm going to play a recorded version of one of our songs through a speaker, and you have to try to play along to it." Josh was pretty happy upon hearing that, feeling pretty prepared himself. He may or may not have only listened to the Twenty One Pilots album that month, as well as figure out all the drum parts and make them better. 

The members of Twenty One Pilots walked inside the garage and sat at the table. Josh smiled when Tyler pulled out another small flat hourglass, that one having what appeared to be a green liquid that would drop down in small circles, and placed it on the table in front of him. 

The first guy went, and he was alright, nothing spectacular. The second guy was better than the first, but still not fantastic. The third guy was actually pretty freaking amazing, and Josh was a little scared that guy would end up getting the spot. Josh went fourth. He played a song he came up with himself for his choice song. He had never been more relieved in his entire life than the moment when he heard the opening notes to "Isle of Flightless Birds" ring through the speaker. 

He spent the entire day before learning that song, so he of course played it flawlessly, adding in a couple extra fills where he felt they were needed. He put on such a good show, one of the people behind him left before they auditioned. Josh felt a little bad about that, but in that moment he was more concerned about getting the spot, than hurting some random persons feelings. 

After everyone auditioned, the band announced they were going inside to discuss the results, then would come back out afterwards. While they were waiting, the guy Josh was nervous about losing to started freaking out. "OH MY GOD I GOT THE SPOT!!" He started yelling. He then stood up and headed towards his car, "Tell them I'm out!" he yelled again as he started driving away. 

The remaining auditioners looked around at each other confused, then the door opened. The band walked out with a very pissed off looking Tyler. "We have decided that the new drummer should be Ryan." Everyone looked around at each other before one of the guys spoke up, "Yeah, he left. Apparently he got the spot, and he isn't coming back." 

Tyler's face lit up upon hearing that news, "Josh you're the new drummer!" he yelled before anyone could stop him. 

》》》》

After figuring out the whole 'Josh is the new drummer for Twenty One Pilots' he and Tyler decided to just hang out in Tyler's room. "Dude, I'm so happy you're the new drummer. You have no idea how long I faught with them about it, and I still lost! That other guy wasn't even that good!" Josh only laughed, "Thanks Tyler." 

"Hey do you mind if I connect my phone to your speaker? It's too quiet in here." Tyler nodded, "Sure go ahead, don't play anything that sucks." Josh laughed at Tyler's brutal honestly, and started a song after making sure the volume wasn't too loud." The beginning played familiar notes, and Josh hummed along as the words started.

"Waiting for the end to come  
Wishing I had strength to stand  
This is not what I had planned  
It's out of my control  
Flying at the speed of light  
Thoughts were spinning in my head  
So many things were left unsaid  
It's hard to let you go" 

Josh looked over and noticed Tyler was intently listening to the song. He wasn't surprised, however. Tyler was a songwriter, therefore he really listened to, and appreciated the lyrics. 

"Oh I know what it takes to move on  
I know how it feels to lie  
All I wanna do is trade this life for something new  
I'm holding on to what I haven't got" 

Tyler smiled at the last line, "I like this song, what is it?" Josh looked over at him, surprised at the breif eye contact that ended almost as fast as it started. "This is 'Waiting For the End' by Linkin Park. You should really check out their music, all their songs have amazing lyrics." Tyler nodded at him, "Play another one of their songs next." 

Josh cued up 'Points of Authority' to play next, and neither of them were expecting the loud guitars to start blaring out of the speaker. The songs weren't on the same album, so it made sense that they wouldn't be at exactly the same volume, but the difference was a bit extreme. 

Josh turned town the volume as fast as he could, but not before Tyler whimpered and his hands flew up to cover his ears. Josh walked over to Tyler, "Tyler, I'm sorry, I didn't know it was going to be so loud." He jumped back when Tyler yelled, "NO!" And Josh was somewhat shocked by the outburst. He tried again nonetheless, "Tyler?" Slowly his eyes opened and he looked at Josh.

After seeing Josh a couple feet away with wide eyes, tears welled up in Tyler's and he choked out, "I-I'm sorry!" Josh looked up again, confused as tears started to fall from Tyler's face. He was starting to learn that emotions were not Tyler's forté. 

"No, hey, it's okay. I promise, it's fine," Josh said, trying to reassure Tyler. "Don't cry, I promise it's okay. Here I'll give you my phone and you can play whatever you want, and you have complete control over the volume." Tyler nodded and accepted the phone into his hands. 

That is how they spent the rest of the day, peacefully listening to music in Tyler's room, while he felt he had control. 

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

I've decided to take a poll for Josh's hair color. Comment what you want it to be, along with ideas for the story. If only one person comments, then congratulations, you have complete creative control over the story.

For those of you wondering why I didn't write this in the notes, I know not all of you read the notes. So, if you skipped the beginning notes of this chapter, go back and read them right now, or we aren't friends anymore! XD 

Anyway, thanks for reading. 

TBC apparently

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments, subscribe! 
> 
> AGAIN, If you don't comment ideas, you won't be getting any more chapters! I don't care if you already gave ideas, if you're a guest, or if you think your ideas are stupid! COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT!! 
> 
> ~You will only receive as much as you put in~
> 
> Stay Alive, A


	4. Cookouts...Kinda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Dun_wITH_this_LIFE and MiniSchmidty for the idea of this chapter. I changed it a little and mixed them together so it would work better with the story. I hope you guys like it, thank you for reading. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who voted on Josh's hair color.

Josh was sitting on the couch in his apartment when his phone started ringing. He answered it and held his phone up to his ear, "Hello?" 

"Hey, Josh. It's Tyler. Umm, my family is having a cookout today with some of their friends, and I was wondering if you maybe wanted to come?" Josh smiled into the phone, "Yeah, absolutely. What time?" He heard shuffling on the other end of the line, "12:00." 

"Okay, well I'll see you then." Tyler hung up again before Josh could say goodbye. He stood up off his couch, and made his way over to the bathroom. After a quick shower, Josh got dressed and cleaned up around his apartment. By the time he was done, it was time for him to head over to Tyler's house, so he grabbed his phone and keys, then made his way to the parking lot. 

Josh pulled up in front of Tyler's at 12:09 p.m. and he noticed Tyler sitting on the front porch with a dog. He got out of the car, and made his way up to Tyler. "Hi, Josh!" Tyler said standing up. The dog jumped up, as well making her way over to Josh. "Her name is Amber, she's four years six months and fifteen days old." 

Josh looked up and nodded at Tyler. If there was one thing Josh had learned since he started spending time with Tyler, it was that Tyler could remember specific dates and number better than Josh could remember how many fingers were on his hands. "Everyone else is in the backyard." 

They walked to the backyard, and there were around twenty people socializing with each other. "My dad said he wanted to meet you." Tyler said without looking at Josh. Josh, however, was quick to look at Tyler in surprise, "Oh, umm, okay." 

Tyler led them over to a man standing in front of a grill, who looked like an older version of Tyler himself. "Dad, this is Josh." The man turned around with a smile on his face, and stuck his hand out to Josh to shake, "I'm Chris. It's nice to meet you Josh." 

Josh shook his hand and smiled back at him, then Chris spoke up, "Tyler, can you go get me a plate out of the kitchen please?" Tyler nodded, and Chris waited until he was out of earshot before speaking, "I really want to thank you. Tyler talks about you all the time, and he's never been good at making friends. My wife told me about what happened at the mall, and you did an amazing job of handling the situation. So, I really just want to thank you for being such a good friend to Tyler." 

Josh didn't know what to say as he looked into Tyler's father's eyes, "Yeah, um, no problem. Tyler's really cool, and I like hanging out with him." Chris smiled at Josh, as Tyler made his way back over carrying a glass plate. "Thank you," Chris said as Tyler handed it to him. 

Tyler then turned to Josh, "Well the foods almost ready, we can go grab plates and drinks." Josh nodded, then followed Tyler over to a table that had all the sides on it. They both grabbed plates and started filling their plates, as other people made their way to the table to do the same. Josh filled his plate with all the normal cookout food, and picked up a hot dog at the end of the table. He reached down into a cooler and pulled out a water bottle, then looked up as Tyler approached him. 

They made their way over to a table in the yard and sat down. Josh looked over at Tyler's plate and smiled a little when he noticed how all the foods were evenly spread out, and not a single food was touching the other. The sat for a couple minutes eating, while people around them talked. It wasn't until some of the lady's started laughing loudly about a story and yelling to talk over each other that Tyler stood up, "Can we go inside?" Josh was quick to nod his head, grab his plate, and follow Tyler across the yard and into the house. 

The walked into the kitchen, and Tyler set his plate down then pulled out a chair taking a seat. Josh did the same, and tried to read Tyler's face, without him noticing. "Are you good?" Josh asked quietly. Tyler nodded, then they both finished their food in silence. 

After they were done, Tyler turned to face Josh and looked at the picture on his shirt, "Let's go to my room." Josh followed Tyler up the stairs, and down a hallway into his room. The first thing Josh noticed when they entered the room was that everything was blue. The walls, the bedding, the rug, the desk, and the chair. 

Tyler must have noticed because he said, "I like blue. It's a relaxing color. It makes me happy." He then walked over to his bed and sat down, while Josh stood in the middle of the room unsure of what to do. "You can sit on my bed." Tyler said without looking up. 

Josh walked over to the bed and sat on the opposite end of Tyler. "I'm sorry if you wanted to stay outside. There was just too much going on." Josh shook his head, "Don't apologize, Tyler. I get it, I promise. And it's not your fault, besides I like inside better." 

Tyler sighed, "But it is my fault, and I hate it. I hate the feeling when there's too much happening. It feels like I can't breathe, and like there's bugs crawling under my skin. I can't handle normal situations that everyone else can, and I hate it." 

Josh didn't even think before he said, "I can't always handle normal situations either. I get super anxious sometimes, and occasionally have panic attacks when something feels like too much to handle." Tyler looked up and made eye contact with Josh for the first time, then looked away. 

"I never would have guessed that," Tyler whispered. "And I never would have guessed you have autism. My first impression of you was how you knew how to put on a performance. You owned the stage, and knew exactly what to do to keep people interested and entertained. You're a crazy good singer, and an outstanding rapper, and overall one of the best musicians I've ever seen. The little things don't define us, Tyler. Sure I have anxiety, yeah you have autism, but these things don't define who we are, they're just something we have." 

Tyler opened his mouth, and shocked Josh when he started singing, "We're broken, we're broken, we're broken, we're broken people, we're broken people, yeah...I want to turn that into something. Thats going to be my next song." Josh smiled at him, "Well, I guarantee it's going to be amazing." 

Without warning Tyler jumped up and walked over to where his ukulele was hanging on the wall. Josh kept quiet as Tyler tested out a couple different chord progressions before sticking to one, and repeating it. 

"We're broken, we're broken, we're broken, we're broken people.  
We're broken people. Yeah.   
I'm standing in front of you. I'm standing in front of you.  
I'm da da da da da da, everything together, da da da da da da." 

"Come on Josh, help me think of something." Josh said the first thing that came to mind, "Tying to be cool." Tyler laughed, then started the song over.

"We're broken, we're broken, we're broken, we're broken people.   
We're broken people. Yeah.   
I'm standing in front of you. I'm standing in front of you.  
I'm trying to be so cool, everything together, trying to be so cool." 

Josh smiled and nodded, giving Tyler a thumbs up, because the song already sounded amazing. "This is going to be one of the best songs yet." Tyler had a huge grin on his face, "Really?" Josh laughed, "Yes, I would never lie to you." 

Tyler scuffed, "I can't lie. It doesn't work, everyone always knows that I'm lying." All Josh could do was smile at him. 

"You are one in a million Tyler Joseph." 

》》》》

Josh left the Joseph's house around 4:30p.m. and was standing in the middle of a hair product store. He decided the in last couple minutes he was talking to Tyler, that he was going to dye his hair blue as a surprise. Tyler liked blue, and Josh liked Tyler, so what the hell. If dying his hair would make Tyler happy, then Josh wasn't even going to think twice about it. 

After paying for the hair dye, he drove back to his apartment. He read the directions, watched a couple YouTube videos, and eventually dyed all of his hair bright blue. He wasn't going to lie, it looked SICK! 

Josh couldn't wait to show Tyler, because something told him Tyler would have a ginormous smile on his face when he saw it.

TBC 

Leave me suggestions for future chapters in the comments!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments, subscribe! 
> 
> Stay Alive, A.


	5. Skittle Sorting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you MiniSchmidty and bandito0421 for the chapter idea!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments, subscribe!!

After many long and stressful band meetings, Twenty One Pilots had their first show with only Tyler and Josh. 

They were sitting backstage at the venue that held more than 100 people   
excitedly waiting for them to perform. Josh was sitting on the couch, tapping his leg, as he watched Tyler sort a bowl of Skittles out on the table by color, then put them all back in the bowl and repeat the action. 

Josh felt as if he was going to explode, so he stood up and started pacing the room, which of course caught Tyler's attention. "Josh, are you alright?" Josh didn't even think before he responded, "Yeah, I'm great! I'm pacing the room because it's my favorite daytime activity." Tyler only looked back down at the candy he was sorting, while Josh mentally kicked himself for lashing out. He knew Tyler couldn't comprehend sarcasm, yet there he was saying stupid sarcastic phrases because he was anxious. 

That was what happened for the next few minutes, Josh pacing the room, and Tyler repeatedly sorting candy. They had twenty minutes before they needed to go on stage and Josh started to feel like he was going to lose his mind. He was still pacing the room, but his pulse had increased significantly, as well as his breathing. He felt his hands start to tingle, and before he knew it he could hear his heart beat in his ears. 

Josh stopped pacing, so he could lean against the wall, because his legs had started shaking badly. He couldn't breathe. With every breath he let out a panicked whine along with it. By that point Tyler had picked up on the fact that something was wrong, "Josh?" he asked making his way over to his friend.

All Josh could do was shake his head as his breath got caught in his throat, and involuntary tears made their way down his face. Tyler didn't know what to do, so all he did was watch in horror. After around two minutes, Josh was still hyperventilating so Tyler did the only thing he could think of to help the situation. 

Tyler knelt down next to Josh, who had slowly slid all the way down the wall onto the floor, and wrapped his arms around him. Tyler felt like his skin was burning, but he needed to help Josh, Josh had helped him so any times, he needed to help his friend. 

After a few minutes Josh's breathing became significantly slower, and Tyler was holding his own breath, willing himself not to cry from so much physical contact. They sat like that for another couple minutes and eventually Tyler did start crying because he felt like there were bugs crawling underneath his skin. 

Josh pulled away once he noticed the tears falling down Tyler's face, "Sorry." Tyler didn't say anything, his hands flapped by his shoulders for a second, and all he could think about was how relieved he was to be done with all the hugging. "Tyler, r-really, thank you. I can't imagine h-how hard that must have b-been for you." Josh said, still shaking badly. 

Tyler still didn't say anything, he simply stood up and made his way over to his backpack, before pulling out his headphones and placing them firmly over his ears. He then pulled out a figet Josh hadn't seen before, and sat down on the couch. 

Josh walked over to the couch and sat down next to Tyler, who had started pulling on the neckline of his shirt like it was choking him. Josh was going to thank Tyler again, but his face screamed discomfort as he faught with his shirt. Eventually his shirt made its way over his head, followed by his jeans. Josh didn't say anything as Tyler sat next to him on the couch in his underwear, because he felt responsible for causing that to happen. 

Josh frowned when he looked at Tyler's stomach. It had so many scars on it, it looked like it had been through hell and back. Josh knew that the self harm rates in people with autism were extremely high, from the research he did after the whole incident at the mall, but that didn't make seeing Tyler's stomach any less upsetting. 

Josh tried again after another couple minutes, "Tyler, I really appreciate what you did." He looked up and noticed Tyler had started silently crying again, then he choked out, "I feel like there's bugs crawling in my skin!" 

Josh didn't know what to do, and was thankful when the door opened and Mark walked in. They hired Mark to help with sound, once most of the original members of the band left. Mark did not even look a little bit surprised by the situation, and something told Josh that it had happened before. 

Mark made his way over to Tyler, "Hey, Ty. What's wrong?" Tyler didn't look up as he responded, "I just I-I ugh!" clearly frustrated with himself. "Hey, no, it's okay, take your time. I promise everything is alright." 

Tyler covered his face with his hands, then started pulling on his hair, "Hey, no, Ty. Don't hurt yourself." Mark said, as he gently pulled Tyler's hands away from his hair, which of course caused another strangled scream to come from his throat. "No, stop ugghh!" Tyler yelled at Mark, making it very clear that touching him in that moment was completely unacceptable. 

Mark sighed, "Ty, do you want me to call your mom? We can reschedule the show, I promise it's okay. You just don't really seem like you're up for it tonight." Tyler layed down on the couch, with his knees up to his chest, hands over his headphones, and cried. 

Mark then stood up, and pulled out his phone, "I'm going to call his mom, give me like five minutes." Josh nodded, then looked back over Tyler. 

》》》》

The show ended up being cancelled due to health reasons, and rescheduled for the following week. Tyler's mother came to pick him up, and he was not exactly happy to leave. 

Josh and Mark were still sitting backstage, "Okay, what happened?" Mark asked Josh. He sighed, "I freaked out, and had a panic attack. Tyler came over and hugged me. He hugged me for I don't even know how long. Then afterwards he freaked out and took his clothes off, saying there were bugs under his skin. And that was my fault, I caused that to happen." 

Mark had a mixed expression on his face, "Josh? That wasn't your fault...Tyler has never willingly hugged someone, it just doesn't happen. I don't even think he's ever hugged his mom by choice." 

Josh sat dumbfounded as Mark spoke, "I don't know how you're having such a strong affect on Tyler, but he's made more progress this month than he ever has before. You are helping him more than you could ever realize." 

All Josh did was smile.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments, subscribe!
> 
> Check out my other stories!
> 
> Leave me suggestions in the comments! 
> 
> Stay Alive, A.


	6. Take Pride In What's Sure To Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you bandito0421 and MiniSchmidty for the chapter ideas!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, Kudos, Subscribe!
> 
> I GET TO SEE TWENTY ONE PILOTS LIVE ON THE 30TH... THATS IN 8 DAYS!!!
> 
> Okay, but can we talk about the acoustic version of "Chlorine"? It is beautiful, and my ears have been blessed.

One week had passed since Josh had a panic attack and Tyler had a sensory overload the day of their first show. Josh had a couple hours to kill before the rescheduled show started, so he left his apartment.

When Josh dyed his hair blue, he used a cheap dye from the store. He also apparently didn't do it right, because the first shower he took after dying it caused all the hair dye to wash out. He was going to buy another box of hair dye and try again, still wanting to surprise Tyler, but decided he didn't want to waste anymore money if he messed it up again. He also decided it would be smarter to save up his money, then have it professionally dyed, because it would look nicer and last longer.

That was why Josh was sitting in a hair salon, only hours before his first show with Tyler as Twenty One Pilots. 

A tall woman with spiked black hair walked up to Josh, while he was sitting in the waiting chairs, "I'm ready for you, if you want to head on back." Josh nodded his head, and smiled as he followed her to her station. "So what is it you are wanting to do today?" Josh tried not to laugh as he said, "I want to dye all of my hair blue." 

The woman didn't seem fazed at all as she said, "Do you want it styled differently after I dye it? I'm seeing it shaved a little shorter on the sides." Josh nodded his head, trusting her opinion, "Sure, just make it look cool." 

She laughed as she tapped his shoulders, "Okay, let's go get you shampooed." While she was washing his hair, she started a conversation, "I didn't get your name." Josh smirked slighly, "I'm Josh. What about you?" She smiled as she said, "Zoey." 

"Is there a specific reason why you're dying your hair blue, or is this a normal thing for you?" Josh genuinely laughed, "My friend's favorite color is blue." She smiled at him, "You're really sweet." Josh couldn't help the blush that spread across his cheeks. 

They made their way back to Zoey's station, and she bleached Josh's hair, "So, this friend of yours, do they have a name?" Josh chuckled, "Tyler." Zoey looked up at him, "Is he your boyfriend." Josh choked on air, "What?! No! He's- he's just Tyler." 

Zoey have him a knowing look, "Okay." He rolled his eyes, "And how do you even know I'm gay? That could have really offended someone." She snickered, "My shirt doesn't do a whole lot of covering anything, and I haven't caught you staring at my chest once...and you were practically drooling over the guy getting his hair cut while you were waiting. I think it was safe to make an assumption." Josh's face turned bright red after she finished talking. 

She started again, "So, does Tyler know you're dying your hair." Josh shook his head, "No, it's a surprise. He said blue is a calming color and it's makes him happy, so that's why I'm doing this." Zoey nodded her head, "That's really nice of you, I hope he likes it." Josh smiled, "Yeah, me too." 

》》》》

After Josh got his hair dyed, he made his way to the venue. After he faught with security that he was indeed part of the band performing, he made his way backstage. He walked into the dressing room, and immediately spotted Tyler and Mark. Tyler looked up and his jaw hit the floor, "Josh, your hair! It's blue!" 

Josh laughed, "Yeah, I figured it was time for a change." Tyler smiled as he made his way over to Josh, "It looks sick!" Mark was laughing from behind them, "You two really are two of the biggest weirdos I've ever met. I have to go double check some of the lights, I'll be back in a couple minutes." 

After Mark left the room, Tyler and Josh made their way over to the couch. "Josh, I'm really sorry for freaking out and ruining our first show. I-" Josh cut him off, "Hey, no. Don't apologize Tyler, you never have to apologize. It wasn't your fault, and I know that, you don't have anything to be sorry for." 

Tyler looked up and kept his eyes on Josh's hair, "I really like your hair." Josh smiled, "I'm really glad, I dyed it for you." Tyler's eyes widened, but he still didn't make eye contact with Josh. "When I was at your house during the cookout you said blue is a calming color. I actually dyed it that day by myself, but I did it completely wrong, so I waited to have it done professionally." 

Tyler looked like he was going to cry, "Josh that's- that's just so nice, and thoughtful. I really appreciate that your my friend." Josh smiled widely at him, "Me too, Tyler. Me too." 

》》》》 

Tyler and Josh took the stage at exactly 6:00p.m. Over one hundred people were in the audience excitedly screaming, waiting for the show to start. They played the normal set list Twenty One Pilots played before Josh had even joined the band, but Tyler started talking in the middle of the second set. 

"So this next one is new, I wrote it for my friend, and I hope you all like it, because it means a lot to me. This is Truce." Josh looked over at Tyler, because he had no idea what was going on, and he most certainly did not know the drum part for whatever Tyler was going to play. Tyler walked over to his piano, and sat down. 

He played through the chord progression of the introduction, and Josh realized that it was a moment for Tyler, so he quickly stepped away from his drums, and sat down on the stage. Josh wasn't going to lie, he was extremely excited for whatever Tyler was going to play.

"Now the night is coming to an end  
Oh  
The sun will rise and we will try again  
Oh

Stay alive, Stay alive for me  
You will die but now your life is free  
Take pride in what's sure to die

I will fear the night again  
Oh  
I hope I'm not my only friend  
Oh

Stay alive, stay alive for me  
You will die but now your life is free  
Take pride in what's sure to die" 

The entire room was silent as Tyler's voice rang through the speakers. The silence carried over for a few seconds after he finished, then everyone in the room started clapping and cheering. "Thank you for letting me do that," Tyler said into the microphone. 

The rest of the show went on as normal, all the way to Trees. Josh stood by Tyler's side once the song ended, and he swore he felt Tyler fingers lightly ghost over his leg, "We're Twenty One Pilots and so are you, goodnight!" 

Tyler was bursting with excitement as they made their way backstage, and Josh decided in that moment, that was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. 

TBC 

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT STORY IN NOTES◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments, subscribe.
> 
> Just a heads up I'm going on vacation from July 7th to July 30th so there won't be any updates in that time. The story isn't being discontinued, I'm just not going to be able to update during that time. 
> 
> Stay Alive, A.


	7. That Stupid Blonde Guy And His Expressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THE TWENTY ONE PILOTS CONCERT WAS AMAZING!!!!!!  
> I was like eight feet away from Tyler at the b-stage and a solid six feet away from Josh when he had the drum platform on the crowd, and during trees. 
> 
> I would share some pictures, but I can't figure out how to upload them onto here, so if any of you know how, please let me know😂 
> 
> Thank you Dominic_Duck_Dongle_ftm for the chapter idea, I changed it a little bit, and I hope you like it :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don't know, Sweetwater is one of the biggest music stores in the world, and it's in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which is about 2.5 hours from Columbus. 
> 
> It's super cool inside, and if you ever have the chance I highly recommend going. I take a trip down there a couple times a year, and it's always awesome.

Tuesday morning Josh woke up in a good mood. He didn't have to work that day, and was feeling adventures. He ended up calling Tyler and planning a mini roadtrip to Sweetwater, to look at different instruments, and just have a good time. 

Josh went to Sweetwater a couple times a year to look at new drums. Sweetwater is one of the biggest music stores in the world, and was luckily only a couple hours away from Columbus. 

Josh loved car rides, especially when there wasn't a time schedule. He also loved Tyler, and was never bothered by the little things Tyler did, but even he was getting frustrated with being asked, 'How much longer until we're there?' every fifteen minutes. 

By the time they actually made it out to the store, both of them were ready to get out of the car. Josh parked the car in a parking space close to the doors, then turned to face Tyler. "Okay, so there's never really a ton of people in here, but it's super bright. All the instruments are in their own rooms that are sound proof, so it isn't loud in the main room, but you might want to wear your headphones when we walk in, in case there's some crazy thing today I didn't know about. Umm, it smells like new wood in pretty much every room, and I don't know if that's going to bother you or not, so if at any point you want to leave just let me know." 

Tyler smiled while he looked at his hands, picking at his fingernails, "Josh, I really appreciate you looking out for me, but I promise I'm fine. And lights and smells don't normally bother me; mostly just noises." 

Josh nodded his head, but still looked slightly unsure. Reluctantly, they got out of the car and made their way inside. Tyler placed his headphones over his ears, not because Josh told him to, but because he wanted to. They walked inside and Tyler immediately spotted the pianos and keyboards that were in the back of the store. They were all out on display, not disclosed to a single room like the rest of the instruments and equipment were. 

They made their way to the pianos, and Tyler was overjoyed. Josh didn't miss the milisecond Tyler's hands flapped, before being stuffed in his pockets. He smiled, happy to see Tyler so estatic to be in the presence of the pianos. Josh watched as he sat down on the bench in front of a grand piano, and carefully reached his hands up to rest on the keys. The first chord he played, caused excitement to course through his veins, and all Josh could do was smile. 

Josh cleared his throat from behind Tyler, "Hey, umm, I wanted to go talk to someone about a new snare drum, are you good here by yourself?" Tyler nodded without turning around, "Yeah, I'll be right here." Josh slowly walked away, watching Tyler. The headphones were still on his head, so that lowered the chances of a sensory overload drastically, but leaving Tyler by himself still made Josh feel uneasy. 

Tyler remained at the Grand piano while Josh talked to an employee. He was playing a new chord progression, with a new melody that he believed sounded pretty awesome. At one point, he fumbled over the keys and missed a note in the melody. After deciding that it sounded cooler than the original, he played it again and chose to keep it. He hummed along with the melody trying to come up with a base structure for lyrics. 

One line stuck out in his mind, and he replayed it over and over again, quietly singing to himself. "I'll be holding onto you." He noticed someone walk up behind him while he was playing, and he couldn't help when his arms involuntarily flapped by his shoulders, excited to show Josh what he had come up with. However, when he turned around he was met with a guy close to his age, with blonde hair, "What's up with you?" 

Tyler took a moment to respond, "I-I was working on writing a song. I'm in a band." The guy had a snarky expression on his face, but Tyler didn't notice. 

Meanwhile, Josh was in the drum room talking to an employee about a kick drum, and he glanced out of the glass wall. He immediately became on high alert when he saw some not so nice looking guy talking to Tyler. Josh turned around to face the employee, "I'm sorry, I need like five minutes." The man simply nodded, "Yeah, of course. Take your time, we're in no rush." Josh quickly made his way out of the room, and over to Tyler. 

He made it in time to hear the blonde guy say, "Yeah, I'm sure you're gonna make it really far," with sarcasm dripping from his words. With some sudden bravery, Josh walked up to the guy, "I'm sorry, is there a problem?" The guy held his hands up and smirked, "No, not at all. You've got yourself a real keeper here." Josh instantly became furious, he was NOT going to let anyone talk about Tyler like that! 

"I think you should leave." The guy laughed, "Hey, I'm not doing anything. We were just talking, and I'm not sure if you know this or not, but this guy," he said pointing at Tyler, who looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole, "not the sharpest pencil in the box." 

To say Josh was mad would be an understatment, "You don't know what you're talking about, and you need to leave!" The guy didn't backup at all as he said, "I know exactly what I'm talking about! Look at him, this entire conversation went completely over his head!" Josh looked over at Tyler, who then jumped up and ran to the other side of the store. 

Josh didn't even think as he flipped the guy off, and ran to catch up with Tyler. He made it to the opposite side of the store, and started turning in circles, looking for Tyler. Josh turned around when he felt someone tap his shoulder, and he faced a store employee. "I'm assuming you're looking for the man who just ran through here." Josh nodded his head. "He ran into my office, and um.." Josh could tell the man was choosing his words very carefully, and he appreciated that. "Um..he is very unhappy with anyone who tries to enter the room." 

Josh followed the employee to his office; the door was closed, and several other employees were surrounding the office, but he could see Tyler through the window. Josh stepped forward, and slowly opened the door. A whine of displeasure came from Tyler as he sat on the floor, slightly rocking, with his hands over his headphones. "Hey, Tyler, it's just me okay. I promise it's just me." 

Josh slowly walked over to Tyler, and sat down in front of him, on the floor. Tyler's fingers found their way to his hair, as he began pulling on it. Josh was quick to act, reaching up to take Tyler's hands into his own, "You can't hurt yourself, Ty, that isn't going to make this any better." Josh must not have realized he used the nickname, but Tyler did, and it calmed something in his brain. 

Josh went to retreat his hands, but Tyler was quicker than him, "No!" he cried out, desperately wanting the feeling of Josh's hands in his. Josh looked at Tyler with wide eyes, not having expected him to yell, then immediately let Tyler take his hands. Josh was a little bit shocked by Tyler wanting physical contact at all, but slowly rubbed circles on the backs of Tyler's hands, nonetheless. Josh looked over Tyler's shoulder when he noticed one of the employees enter the room. 

Josh brought his attention back to Tyler, who was still holding his hands, "Hey, Tyler, are you ready to leave?" Tyler nodded his head, but remained on the floor, slightly rocking back and forth, when Josh stood up. He looked back at Tyler, then walked to where all the employees were still standing outside of the office. It was a requirement however, due to the 'employees only' rule in the offices. 

"I am so sorry. I promise we'll be heading out in a couple minutes." A lady with red hair waved her hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it, it's completely fine. Let us know if there is anything we can do." 

Josh thought for a moment deciding with a 'why the hell not'. He cleared his throat, "Well actually, there is this guy by the pianos with blonde hair, probably around twenty years old, who pretty much caused this to happen, and-" The woman cut him off, "We'll deal with it, don't worry." Josh smiled her, then made his way back into the room with Tyler. 

Tyler stood up, and made his way over to Josh, with a facial expression that screamed 'I'm ready to leave'. 

》 》 》 》 》 

The first ten minutes of the car ride were silent, then Tyler spoke up, "Josh?" He looked over, signaling to go on. "I'm not stupid, right?" Josh nearly choked on air, trying to respond to that, "No, Tyler! No, not even a little, why would you- No, you're not stupid." Tyler stared down at his lap, then whipered, "That guy called me names, and he said that I'm stupid." 

Josh shook his head, "Tyler, that guy was a dick, and nothing that came out of his mouth was true, okay?" Tyler did not respond, then after a couple minutes spoke up again, as a whisper, "The things that he said about me...what do they mean?" 

Josh was at a loss for words, "Nothing important, he wasn't right anyway." Tyler apparently was not satisfied with that answer, "I want to know what he meant!" Josh sighed, and rubbed his face with one hand, "He said mean things, that aren't true, okay? He was wrong about everything that he said." 

Tyler was quiet for awhile, "People used to laugh at me in middle for looking up when someone asked 'what's up'," Tyler was quick to clarify, "I know what it means now. My dad explained it, and said it was an expression...I don't like expressions; they don't make sense. That guy used a lot of expressions, and I didn't understand what he meant." 

Josh sighed again, then spoke softly, "I know, Tyler. But nothing he said is important because none of it is true, okay?" Tyler nodded his head, and kept quiet. 

The rest of the car ride home consisted of Josh explaining positive expressions to Tyler, giving him examples, trying to help him comprehend how they worked. Josh wasn't very successful, because Tyler was even more confused when they made it back, than when they left, but Josh didn't care.

He cares strongly about Tyler, so the sun will rise, and he will try again. 

 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments, subscribe!!
> 
> IMPORTANT!!!!  
> Again, I'm going to be on vacation from July 7th - July 30th and will be unable to update during that time. The story is NOT being discontinued, I will update again when I get back. 
> 
> Don't forget to leave chapter suggestions in the comments!!!


	8. The Ferris Wheel Is Not My Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I posted a new story that is going to be kinda like this one, written by reader suggestions. 
> 
> It's sort of an age play thing, so please please please go check it out! 
> 
> Thank you LightningHaski and Dominic_Duck_Dongle_ftm for the chapter idea!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I went on the Navy Pier ferris wheel with my sister a couple years ago, and both of my parents were afraid to get on it. 
> 
> Go read my new story! :P

Twenty One Pilots was becoming a significantly larger band in the music industry, which meant they were starting to play in states other than Ohio. 

Tyler and Josh were walking around Chicago, Illinois, just checking things out before their show. They had a concert at The House Of Blues later that day, and both were extremely excited to play at the venue. Chicago was almost like a much larger version of Columbus, so it wasn't that interesting to them, but Tyler had never been to Navy Pier, so they decided to stop by. 

They walked on the sidewalk that overlooked Lake Michigan as they made their way to Navy Pier, "The water looks pretty." Josh turned his head to look at the water, "Yeah, it does." Josh had been wary when Tyler spotted the ferris wheel, claiming they had to go on it. The Navy Pier ferris wheel was one of the tallest ferris wheels in the world. Heights were not Josh's thing, and neither were rides that could potentially bring you to your death. So, a big wheel that brought you almost two hundred feet off the ground did not sound appealing to Josh in the least bit. 

They made it up to the ferris wheel, and got in line. The line was astronomically long, but that was to be expected. After around five minutes of standing in line, Josh's hands started to get sweaty. He of course ignored it, because Tyler wanted to go onow the ride, so they were going to go on the ride. 

Another three minutes passed, and Josh felt his heart rate start to pick up speed. He took deep breaths, focusing on Tyler, to try and calm himself down. Two minutes after that, they were still in line no where near the front of the line. It was in that moment that a girl on the ferris wheel jokingly screamed, but it affected Josh more than anyone could ever realize. Fear is the most powerful emotion, and nobody will ever be able to change his mind about that. 

Josh's brain started telling him every single scenario of what could go wrong, from the ride stopping, all the way to it breaking and causing their deaths. He never realized that his breathing started to become audibly labored, until Tyler asked him if he was ago. He only lasted another three minutes, before he started full on hyperventilating. To put it simple, Josh sounded as if he was dying, which caught the attention of pretty much everyone in a fifty feet radius. 

Josh's whole 'not being able to breathe' issue was causing a lot of distress to Tyler, who started whining, and slightly rocking on his feet. "Josh," Tyler asked cautiously. After getting no response other than Josh closing his eyes, Tyler whined again, louder that time, and his hand reached up to pull on his hair. 

By that point, every single person was watching them, which only made everything worse. A man, who appeared around the same age as them, came up next to Josh. "Hey, man. You're going to be fine, just breathe." Josh's legs were shaking horrendously, and the man helped lower him onto the ground. That was when Tyler completely lost it, he whined, and the hair pulling turned into hitting himself twice on top of his head with the palm of his hand. He was going to strike a third time, but another man, who appeared to be in his early forties, grabbed onto Tyler's arm. 

Tyler did not like that at all, nope, not one bit. That person was touching him, they were not allowed to touch him, he did not want them to touch him. He screamed out, trying to break free of the persons hold, but he couldn't. He had no control over the situation, so he brought his other arm up to hit his head. He only striked twice, because then the lady on the other side of him grabbed that arm. He then had two people touching him, and that was not okay! Not okay at all! 

Meanwhile, Josh was on the ground, making little to no progress with the whole 'getting oxygen to his lungs' thing, but he needed to help Tyler. In that moment, it was his responsibility to protect Tyler, and to make him feel safe. So, he choked out, "Stop, he doesn't like contact." It came out sounding very forced, but it was enough to get the man that was helping him, to turn around and repeat the message. Tyler was lashing out, trying to get away from the hands that were all over him. 

When the hands finally let him go, he proceded to hit himself on the head, having no other way to communicate what he was feeling. Josh, did not like seeing that at all, and it scared him a little, never having seen it before. Regardless of that, he choked out, "backpack, headphones." 

The people around them, then picked up Tyler's backpack, and pulled out his headphones. The woman who was preventing him from hitting himself put the headphones over his ears, as he layed on the cement, attempting to ground himself. In that moment Josh felt completely useless, because he couldn't help Tyler due to his own problems. 

He was starting to calm down, and be able to breath again. There was sweat dripping down his back, and he felt like he was going to throw up. Josh pushed all his thoughts aside, as he made his way over to Tyler, because Tyler was his priority. He wasn't surprised to see Tyler's fingers pulling on his hair. Josh carefully reached foward, with his shaking hands, and gently pulled Tyler's hands away from his head, "D-Don't hurt yourself, Ty." And there it was again! That damn nickname that made Tyler's heart happy when it came from Josh's lips. 

Tyler couldn't stop himself when he sat up, then grabbed Josh's hand, bringing it up to his face. He pressed Josh's hand up against his cheek, because he needed the contact. Josh made him feel safe, Josh grounded him. It was almost entirely silent, all of the people watching the pair trying to figure out what was happening. Josh felt a head on his shoulder, and was met with a man's face when he looked up. "Are you guys good?" the man asked Josh.

Josh nodded his head, "Yeah. Yeah, we're good, t-thank you." All of the people smiled warmly at Tyler and Josh as they sat on the cement. They never did end up riding the freaking ferris wheel that caused that whole mess, but they did play a kickass show at The House of Blues that night. 

They both needed some time to 'recharge' before the show, but after they did, they were both pumped and ready to perform. It was, in Josh's opinion, one of the best shoes they ever played, he was proud to be apart of it, and he felt privileged to be standing on stage alongside Tyler Joseph. 

 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments, subscribe! 
> 
> Don't forget to leave suggestions! 
> 
> I'm going to be inactive on vacation from July 7th- July 30th 
> 
> Stay Alive, A.


	9. Not A Single Word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for MiniSchmidty HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! 
> 
> Thanks for the chapter idea LightningHaski! 
> 
> I leave for vacation in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments, subscribe.
> 
> Had to write one more chapter before I leave for vacation.

Josh was sitting in his apartment, watching some stupid movie because he couldn't find the remote. Mark was working and Tyler wasn't answering his phone, so he had nothing to do. Josh's list of friends didn't really extend past Mark and Tyler, so he was completely screwed when they were both busy. 

He picked up his phone deciding to call Tyler again, but it went straight to voice mail just like the first eight times he called. Sighing, Josh stood up heading towards the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator, and looked inside, noticing how much food he didn't have. It was in that moment that Josh decided he was going to pick up Taco Bell and just show up at Tyler's house. 

Josh pulled up to the Taco Bell drive through and looked at the menu, deciding to just get a couple tacos. After he paid and received his food, he made his was to Tyler's house. He pulled up in to the driveway, and put his car in park, then grabbed the food off of the passengers seat, and walked up to the front door. He rang the doorbell, and took a step back. Tyler's mom answered the door, and a nervous expression made its way onto her face when she saw it was Josh. 

"Hello, Josh," she said, sounding unsure of herself. Josh smiled at her, "Hi, I brought some tacos. Tyler wasn't answering his phone, so I just decided to stop by." Kelly stepped aside to let Josh inside because bugs were getting in through the front door, "Yes, ummm, Tyler isn't really having a good day, so I'm not sure if it is a good idea to be over today." 

Hearing that caused Josh to be on high alert, "Did something happen?" Kelly shook her head 'no', "No, nothing happened. He's just very sensitive to everything today." In that moment Josh was determined to make his friend feel better, "Can I go see him? Maybe I can cheer him up." Kelly was obviously having an internal battle with herself before nodding her head, "Yeah, you can head upstairs." 

Josh thanked her, then took his shoes off, and made his way upstairs to Tyler's room. He made it in front of Tyler's door and jumped when someone was in front of him. The guy immediately held up his hands, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Josh assumed it was Tyler's brother, but they had never met before, so Josh held out his hand, "It's okay. I'm Josh." The guy shook his hand, "I know. Tyler never shuts up about you. I'm Zack, his brother." Josh gave him a friendly nod, then looked at the closed bedroom door. 

"Umm, I don't know if Tyler wants visitors today. I mean, he didn't even want me in there and half of that room belongs to me." Josh nodded, realizing why Zack was sitting in the hallway outside of the room. "Well, maybe I can help him." Zack moved out of the way, "Go ahead, but I'm warning you now; there's probably an 80% chance that he's completely naked." Josh didn't even think twice as he opened the door, and stepped inside. 

The lights were off, the curtains were closed, and Tyler was laying face down on the floor in his underwear. He had his headphones on, and a medium sized cube in his hands that appeared to be vibrating. Josh crouched down next to Tyler, and put the bag of food on the floor, "Tyler?" Josh said loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to scare him. 

Tyler slowly looked up and he kept the same blank expression on his face, when he saw Josh. Then, he moved to get into a sitting position, and grabbed Josh's hand bringing it up to his face. Josh did find it a little weird that his hand was pressed up against Tyler's face, but if it brought Tyler comfort, then he wasn't going to take that away. They sat like that for awhile, in silence with Josh's hand sandwiched up against Tyler's face. 

Josh decided to break the silence when he remembered that quite a lot of time had passed, and the food was getting cold. "Hey, Ty, I brought tacos and they're probably getting cold. Do you want one?" A small smile made its way to Tyler's face when he heard the nickname, but he shook his head 'no' because he was comfortable for the first time in hours and he didn't want that feeling to go away. 

"Okay, whatever you want to do." Josh's hand was still pressed up against Tyler's face, and Tyler was crouched over and slightly rocking. Light humming was coming from Tyler, and Josh decided in that moment that he wouldn't want to be doing anything else. It was cold in the room, and Josh looked down when he felt Tyler shudder. After all, Tyler was still sitting in only his boxers. "Do you want to put some clothes on? It's kinda cold in here." Tyler thought for a moment, then nodded his head 'yes' and released Josh's hand, deciding that he was indeed cold and ready to get dressed again. 

Tyler stood up and made his way over to his dresser. He opened the top right drawer and pulled out a black long sleeve muscle shirt and what appeared to be black leggings. Josh assumed he owned the ensemble for the days like that day, when he couldn't handle the baggy feeling of fabric, but still needed to be wearing clothing. 

Tyler pulled the leggings up his legs, comforted by how they hugged close to his skin. He then pulled the muscle shirt over his head, and in the process knocked the headphones off of his head and onto the floor. The shirt was half on his body, but his hands flapped by his shoulders, then quickly few up to cover his ears. Josh was quick to act too, making his way over to Tyler and picking up the headphones off of the floor. 

Tyler was making a low agitated humming noise, and his eyes were closed. Josh pulled Tyler's shirt down over his body the rest of the way, then started nudging Tyler's hands away from his ears, "Hey, Ty, it's okay. I've got your headphones, you're alright." 

Once the headphones were over his ears, he lowered himself to the floor, leaning forward, swaying side to side. The humming continued as Josh sat down next to him. He started lightly hitting his hand against his leg, in a rhythm that repeated. Josh kept a close eye on the hand, after deciding that it wasn't causing any harm, and didn't need to be stopped. 

Josh moved to sit with his back up against Tyler's bed, and watched as Tyler sat up in high alert. Josh put his hands up, "I'm not leaving. I promise, I won't leave until you want me to." Tyler then moved to sit next to Josh, and after a few minutes cautiously and slowly started to lower his head onto Josh's thighs. "You're okay, Tyler. You can lay down if you want, I promise it's okay." 

Tyler layed down with his head on Josh's lap, feeling completely relaxed. He ran his fingers back and forth over the hole in the knee of Josh's jeans, and the motion was comforting to him. Josh was carding his hands through Tyler's hair, and it seemed to comfort him, so he continued the motion. After awhile, Tyler predictibly fell asleep, feeling totally comfortable after what felt like forever. 

Josh eventually pulled out his phone, and scrolled through the explore page on instagram, deciding he would leave when Tyler woke up. 

Josh was completely focused on his phone, then looked up when he felt someone in the room. Tyler's mother was standing in front of them, and she looked as if she were going to cry. Her hands were covering her mouth as she made her way closer to Josh, "Thank you." Josh was a little confused as he replied, "You're welcome?" 

Kelly sighed, "I don't think you understand how much you help him. When he has days like this, it takes a couple days before he bounces back, and even talks to us. Last time we couldn't even get him to put clothes back on for three days." She laughed a little, and wiped a tear away from her eye, "And he's engaging in physical contact. That just doesn't happen, so thank you, really. You are welcome here anytime, thank you, Josh." 

Josh smiled, then she left the room. He sat thinking about everything she said, and then the realization hit him that Tyler hasn't spoken a single word to him the entire time he was there. 

Although, in that moment it didn't matter, because Tyler felt safe, and that's all that mattered. 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ON VACATION FROM JULY 7th - JULY 30th SO I'LL BE INACTIVE DURING THAT TIME.
> 
> Kudos, comments, subscribe.
> 
> Stay Alive, A.


	10. Movies And Meltdowns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is loosely based off of my experience going to the movies to see The Lion King while on vacation. My brother has special needs and he flipped out when we got there. 
> 
>  
> 
> Also, I'm mad at the new Lion King. The original is way better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments subscribe. 
> 
> My friend is trying to convince her mom to take us to the TOP show is Cincinnati, fingers crossed.

Josh was sitting in his apartment with his cell phone up to his ear. He had called his father's friend Jamie, who was like and uncle to him, to ask for a huge favor. 

"Hey, Josh! What's up." Josh repositioned his phone by his ear. "Hi, Jamie. I'm actually calling to ask for a huge favor." He heard a 'hmm' on the other end of the line, signaling to continue. Jamie owned a small movie theater right outside of Columbus, and Josh had his fingers crossed he would agree to his proposition. 

"So, I have this friend who really wants to see the new Avengers movie, but doesn't like to go to the theater because of all the people and noise. He's bummed about having to wait for it to come out on DVD because you know how social media works, everything about it will be spoiled by then. The main reasons why he doesn't like seeing movies at the theater is because it's so loud, and there are so many people in the place at the same time. I umm...I was wondering if you could maybe have a private showing for us with the sound down and lights up like you do with the showings for children with autism." 

Almost immediately Jamie spoke up through the other line, "Yeah, of course. I have to look through the scheduled times this week to find a time to squeeze it in, but we can definitely make it work." 

Josh smiled through the phone, "Thank you so much! He's going to be so excited when I tell him!" Jamie laughed into the phone, "Is this your boyfriend we're talking about?" Josh's eyes grew wide and he was quick to dismiss the thought, "No, no. He's just my friend." Jamie was actually the first person Josh came out to as a teenager. He was also the person Josh always came to for advise, because he knew Jamie would never judge anything he said. 

Laughter rang through the phone again, "Okay, Josh. I'll pretend I believe you. So, what's his name?" Josh sighed, because Jamie always had the ability to read him like an open book. "Tyler Joseph. He's the singer, and only other member of the band I'm in," Josh heard shuffling on the other end of the line and assumed Jamie nodded his head. "Okay, and going off of your request, I'm assuming he has autism," Jamie stated more as a question.

Josh nodded his head as he spoke, "Yeah, he has autism. Our friend Mark said Tyler's towards the higher functioning end of the spectrum, but I don't really know how all of that works, or is determined." 

"Okay, well, let me know if there are any other accommodations you need beforehand. I'm looking at the movie schedule for this week, and there is an open slot for tomorrow at 3:15 p.m. if that works for you guys." Josh smiled as he spoke, "Yeah, that would be great. Thank you, Jamie. I really appreciate this." 

"You're welcome. You know where my office is, so just make your way down there when you arrive tomorrow, and we'll take it from there." Josh smiled again, "Okay, thank you. I'll see you tomorrow." "Bye, Josh." 

They ended the phone call, then Josh immediately grabbed his keys and made his way to Tyler's house. 

He knocked on the front door of the Joseph's house, and Kelly answered. "Hello, Josh! It's nice to see you again. Tyler's in his room, so you can head up whenever." Josh made his was into the house, and took his shoes off. He then made his way up the stairs, and into Tyler's room. Tyler was sitting cross legged on his bed, hunched over, slightly rocking back and forth with his phone in his hands. He appeared to be playing a game, but Josh had never seen the game before. 

Zack was also in the room laying on his own bed, with his phone in his hands and a look of concentration on his face. Josh made his way over to Tyler, and made sure he saw him before sitting down on the bed. "Hi, Josh!" Josh noticed that Zack glanced over at him when Tyler spoke his name, then brought his attention back to his phone. 

"Hi, Tyler. I have great news." Josh watched as Tyler discarded his phone, and gave Josh his full attention. "So, I know you were pretty upset about not being able to see the Avengers movie at the theater, so I called my uncle, Jamie. Well, technically he's not my uncle, but I feel like he is. Anyway, he owns a movie theater right outside of Columbus, and he said he can do a private showing for us. There won't be any other people, and it will be quiter than a regular showing." 

Tyler looked overjoyed when he heard everything Josh said, his right hand flapped for a second in front of his chest before he started talking, "Thank you Josh! I'm so excited, oh my gosh." 

All of the excitement caught Zack's attention, along with the fact that he listened to the entire conversation, "Man, I should have waited. I payed for opening night tickets and spent all of my allowence." Josh laughed, but Tyler was still too excited to pay attention to his brother. 

"The movie is tomorrow at 3:15 p.m. so I'll come pick you up at 2:00 p.m. because we need time to drive and get ready beforehand. Tyler nodded his head still smiling, "Okay, thank you Josh!" 

》 》 》 》 》

The following day, they drove to the theater. Tyler spoke the entire car ride about what he thought was going to happen due to all of the previous films. Josh had never seen any of the other Avengers movies, so he tried to pay close attention so he wasn't completely lost during the movie. 

They walked into the theater at 3:10 p.m. due to all of the bad traffic on the way there. Tyler, as always, carried his backpack filled with different figets and his headphones. He didn't think he was going to need them, but he brought them none the less. 

"Okay, so let's get concessions beforehand, then head down to Jamie's office." Tyler nodded his head, and followed Josh to stand in the long line. There was a loud buzz of people talking around them, and Tyler couldn't help it when he started to hum a single monotone note to balance out the sensory input. He started lightly rocking on the balls of his feet, and running his fingers over the stitching on the hem of his shirt. 

Josh turned to face him, noticing his discomfort, "Hey, you're okay. You can put your headphones on, Ty. Nobody is going to say anything about them." Hearing the nickname made Tyler feel a little better, so he shook his head 'no'. 

Josh turned back around because it was their turn to order. Tyler didn't even hear what Josh ordered because he started humming louder, attempting to comfort himself. He didn't like how all the different smells coming from behind the counter collided with each other. The entire building spelled like butter, and that was something that didn't settle right with Tyler's brain. 

Josh handed Tyler a small bucket of popcorn, but carried both of their drinks along with his popcorn, sensing that Tyler wasn't in the position to carry it himself. Josh led them over to the butter and salt station, then set down the drinks and popcorn. Tyler placed his popcorn down on the counter top, then started rocking again as he stood. Josh noticed how Tyler's loud humming was starting to sound more like whining, so he planned to butter their popcorns as fast as he could so they could get away from the noisy room. 

Josh held his small bucket of popcorn under the butter despensor, and pushed the button. He glanced over at Tyler, then quickly discarded his popcorn as he reached towards his friend. Tyler had his fingers twisted in his hair, harshly pulling at the strands. Josh reached up and grabbed Tyler's hands, gently pulling them away from his head. "No, Ty. You have to stop, you can't hurt yourself." Tyler's hand broke free from Josh's confinment and flapped by his head due to feeling so overwelmed. 

"Tyler, I promise you can put your headphones on, and nobody will say anything about them." Tyler quickly shook his head 'no' because he wanted to be able to handle the situation on his own. 

Josh sighed, then went back to buttering the popcorn after he made she Tyler's hands were not a threat to himself. Tyler, who was still loudly humming, continued rocking on his feet, and started clenching and unclenching his hand. 

Josh was about to grab the food and drinks when one of the popcorn machines started loudly beeping. It was so loud, and such and earpercing noise that it even hurt his ears. He watched as the scene unfolded in front of him. Tyler let out and agitated scream as his hands flew up to cover his ears. Josh left their popcorn and pop on the counter as he quickly stepped closer to Tyler. 

Tyler lowered himself onto the floor, in front of the popcorn station, with his hands firmly over his ears. The uncomfortable whining continued to come from his throat as he sat crouched over on the floor with his eyes closed. The beeping from the machine had stopped, but it didn't matter at that point because the damage was done. 

Josh sat himself next to Tyler on the floor, trying to act as a shield from all the staring judgmental people walking by. "You're okay Tyler. You're safe, I promise." Josh layed a hand on his back, but immediately removed it when Tyler flinched and let out a dissaproving whine. 

They had an audience by that point, as people stood and watched the commotion. A man then walked by and dropped a large drink on to the floor close by, due to trying to carry too many things all at once. It made a loud noise, which not only startled Tyler, but completely sent him over the edge. 

Josh watched in horror as Tyler's hands reached up, and started repeatedly hitting himself on top of his head. Josh immediately grabbed his arms, trying to stop his friend from hurting himself, but Tyler was equally as strong and managed to continue to hit himself. In that moment Tyler did not want to be touched, so Josh's hands on his arms did not set well with him. 

Josh started to become overwhelmed when Tyler started hitting his head extremely hard against the side of the popcorn station wall. Josh didn't know what to do, because when he let go of Tyler's hands to shield the back of his head from the wall, he started hitting himself again. "No, Ty. You've gotta stop, please stop. Don't hurt yourself," Josh begged as Tyler continued to hit himself. 

Josh tried to grab Tyler's arms again, which received another agitated scream from Tyler. Josh's eyes widened when Tyler then bit his arm, and let out another loud whine due to the pain. However, that did not stop him, because once he let go, he bit down again on another spot even harder than the first time. 

Josh had no idea what he was supposed to do. He could handle the sensory overloads with no problem, but this was his first time dealing with a full autistic meltdown. He knew it wasn't Tyler's fault, and none of the things he was doing were a conscience decision, but that didn't make it any easier. Tyler's arm was bleeding, and covered in bite marks, he was crying, and the loud whining coming from his throat never stopped. 

Josh quickly grabbed Tyler's bag and turned it upside down, dumping the contents onto the floor. He picked up the headphones and put them over Tyler's ears before he could react. He then picked up several of the figets, and pushed them out in front of Tyler praying it would help him calm down. 

Josh felt someone tap on his shoulder, and he almost turned around and snapped at them, but then he realized it was Jamie with a very concerned look on his face. "I don't know what to do. I've never seen him have this bad of a meltdown before," Josh said, yet again reaching forward to stop Tyler from hitting himself. "Is there anything I can do?" Josh looked around for a second, "If you could turn off the lights, and get some of these people away from us that would be great." Jamie nodded his head, then quickly made his way into a back room. Not even a minute later, the lights turned off, and most of the people were ushered to the other side of the theater. 

Tyler had started to calm down, and was rocking on the floor. He was still loudly humming and crying, but at least he wasn't hurting himself. His hands were firmly over his headphones, and Josh winced when he saw the mixture of blood and tooth indents that covered Tyler's fingers. 

They stayed on the floor like that until Tyler stopped crying. "Hey, Ty. Are you feeling better?" Josh asked quietly. Tyler continued to hum, but slowly lifted his head to see Josh. He then unexpectedly moved forward and collapsed into Josh, throwing his arms around him. 

To say Josh was shocked would be an understatement, but he quickly moved his arms around Tyler's back and hugged him tight. 

Jamie then appeared in front of them, not really sure what to say. "Umm, you two can sit in my office if you're not ready to leave yet." Josh nodded his head, "Okay, thank you." They stayed on the floor for a little while longer, then made their way to Jamie's office. 

They were sitting on the couch, next to each other, and Josh was cleaning up Tyler's arms. He cleaned off all the droplets of blood, and put a bandaid over a particularly bad puncture wound on Tyler's left index finger. Tyler still hadn't spoken a single word since they entered the theater, but Josh definitely was not going to push him. 

A large bruise was starting to form on Tyler's forhead, and Josh was almost positive he had a headache. Josh barely heard when Tyler muttered two quiet words, "I'm sorry." Josh looked over at him with wide eyes, "Tyler, that wasn't your fault. I know that. You didn't have any control over what happened back there. You have nothing to be sorry for, okay?" Tyler nodded his head, and rubbed his hands together. 

"Do you have a headache?" Tyler nodded again, so Josh stood up to grab the small bottle of ibuprofen Jamie gave him. He gave Tyler two pills and a water bottle, "Are your arms sore?" Tyler nodded again, "Thank you for helping me." Josh sighed, "I didn't do a very good job. I've never seen you get like that before." Tyler looked down at his lap, "It doesn't happen very often, there was just way to much happening in there." Neither of them spoke after that.

They sat like that for awhile, in a comfortable silence. After about an hour, they made their way into one of the rooms where the movies played, because Tyler refused to leave without seeing the movie. Josh had to admit, it was a pretty awesome movie, even though he bad no idea what was going on the entire time. 

Tyler thoroughly enjoyed it, and spoke about how amazing it was the entire drive home. Josh only half listen to what he said, however, because he was busy planning what he was supposed to say to Tyler's parents. 

》 》 》 》 》

By the time they pulled up in front of the Joseph's house, it was going on 8:00 p.m. The bruise on Tyler's head had turned into a mixture of dark blue and purple, and Josh was dreading how he was supposed to explain how it got there. They made their way up to the front door and Tyler let them in, not even bothering to knock. Kelly made her way towards them when she heard the front door open, "You two have been gone a very long time, I was starting to get worried." 

A small gasp left her lips when she saw the bruise on Tyler's forhead. "What happened to your head?" She asked urgently. He reached up to cover it with his hand, and she noticed the still evident bite marks on his fingers, immediately knowing what happened. 

She looked over at a very uncomfortable looking Josh, "Josh, may I speak with you for a moment?" She then looked at Tyler who took the hint and walked into the kitchen. "I'm sorry," was the first thing that left Josh's lips. "Everything was planned out and it was going to be fine, but then this stupid machine started beeping, and a guy dropped his pop, and Tyler lost it. He was hitting himself, and bitting himself, and slamming his head into the wall, and I did the best I could to get him to stop hurting himself, but he still did." Josh said way too fast, without talking a break. 

Kelly simply leaned forward and pulled Josh into a huge, "You did fine, Josh. Thank you. He looks a lot less beat up than the last time he had a meltdown." 

Josh sighed a breath of relief, glad Tyler's mom wasn't mad at him. "Come on, stay for dinner. I made extra tonight and Tyler isn't going to want to eat alone." Josh nodded, and smiled when he made his way into the kitchen seeing a smiling Tyler. 

Everything was going to be okay. 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments, subscribe, leave me chapter ideas! 
> 
> Stay Alive, A.


	11. T's Uncrossed And I's Undotted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you LightningHaski and bandito0421 for the chapter ideas!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun to write.
> 
> I start school in five days :( 
> 
> LEAVE ME REQUESTS!!!

Tyler and Josh were in a car on their way to a small studio. They were about to film their first music video for their new single "Holding On To You." Tyler couldn't sit still the entire car ride, because he was so nervous and excited. 

They pulled up in front of the building they would be filming at and got out of the car. They hadn't been able to meet up with the director before the day of, so Josh was a little nervous they wouldn't like the plan for the video. Mark came with them, with his own camera, claiming he would be filming a little behind the scenes video to put on YouTube. 

They walked into the building and immediately spotted the director. They walked up to him and he stuck out his hand. Josh shook his hand, but Tyler awkwardly waved, not wanting to take part in the physical contact. Luckily the director took the hint, and dropped his own hand to his side. "It's awesome to meet you guys, my name is Jordan." Before Josh could stop himself, he blurted out, "My brother's name is Jordan." He winced at how stupid he sounded, but the director just said, "Very cool, very cool." 

He directed their attention to a small table behind him, "So here is the plan for the video." There were several papers with small sketches and notes, laying out the idea for the music video. "So, we're going to start with you guys under plastic tarps, then move onto Tyler. I'm going to be using a special camera lense that stretches the image and distorts everything in a cool way. Oh, I'm also thinking the entire thing should be in black and white because that adds to the storyline." Josh nodded as Jordan spoke. 

"All of your wardrobe is in a room right through those doors. There's a guy in there that will help you with anything you need, then just meet me back out here. Also, if you want to introduce yourselves before you go get ready, the group of people over there are the dancers who will act as extras." He pointed to a large group of people getting their faces painted like skeletons." 

Josh nodded again, "Okay, well we'll see you in a little bit." Jordan nodded, then turned back around to study the storyboard some more. Tyler and Josh walked over to the group of people, and Josh started talking, "Hey, everyone. My name is Josh, and this is Tyler. We really want to thank you for doing this, the music video is going to be awesome, and we won't be able to pull it off without your help, so thank you." He received a couple thumbs ups, and smiles, then they made their way to their dressing room. 

They walked into the room, and as promised, there was a man sitting on the couch. He stood up when the entered the room, "Hi, my name is Blake. I'll be your wardrobe manager today. Everything is hung up in the order you will be wearing it. Tyler, your rack of clothes is on the left, and Josh, yours is on the right. I'll step out if you'd like, but if you need anything just call for me." Tyler nodded his head, and Blake stepped into the hallway. 

Josh walked over to his rack of clothes and pulled the first shirt off of the hanger. He held it up to show Tyler, "This is sick!" Tyler laughed, then walked over to his rack of clothes. He pulled a white button down shirt off of the hanger, and smiled when he noticed the spine going down the back. 

He pulled his t-shirt over his head, then started undoing the buttons on the shirt he was about to put on. He turned to look at Josh when he felt his eyes on him. As expected, Josh was staring at many the scars on Tyler's stomach. He cleared his throat, "People used to make fun of me a lot at school. They called me a bunch of mean names." 

Josh felt his face heat up when he realized Tyler caught him staring, but it was immediately replaced with sadness as he listened to Tyler words. "It helped. It made me feel better. I was in control...I'm a lot better now." Josh felt mixed emotions, "I'm sorry that you went through that, but I'm glad you're happier now." Tyler gave a small smile, then pulled his shirt on. After a couple of minutes, Josh was completely dressed, and Tyler walked up to him. "Can you help me, please? I don't know how to do this." 

Josh nodded, and took the strip of fabric from Tyler. He put it around Tyler's neck, making sure it was under the collar of his shirt, then tied it into a bow tie. He made sure both sides were even, then looked up at Tyler's face. "You look sick." Tyler laughed, then backed up away from Josh. 

They walked out of the room, and Blake gave them each a thumbs up. They then made their way back into the main room to find Jordan. They were stopped by a lady once they made it to the main room, "You two look great, now I just need to do a little quick makeup so you don't look shiny on camera." Josh sat down in the chair first, after he saw the hesitation written across Tyler's face. The woman had a large makeup brush, and started brushing on a skin toned powder onto Josh's face. 

After a couple brush strokes she was finished and motioned for Tyler to sit down. Hesitantly, he sat down in the chair and watched as she brought the brush up to his face. He did not like how it felt on his face at all, and tried to stand up after the first brush stroke. 

Josh was quick to reassure him, and get him to sit back down. "Hey, it's okay. She's almost done, and we won't be able to film anything if you're all shiny. Tyler slowly sat back down in the chair, and scrunched up his entire face as the brush swiped across his forehead. He was very relieved when she was done, and glad to get out of the chair. 

They made their way over to Jordan and he looked extremely happy with their appearances. "First off, you two look awesome. Second, I think it will be easiest to just kind of explain each scene as we go. So, first scene, like I said, you guys are going to be under plastic tarps, and the dancers are going to pull them off you. Josh, obviously you're going to be playing the drums, and Tyler, you are going to stare at the camera as you rap the beginning." 

Both of them nodded, then made their way over to the center of the room. Josh sat down at the drum set that was set up, and Tyler stood a couple feet away from them. Jordan walked up to them, "Okay, so we're going to put the tarps over you guys, and the dancers are going to pull them off. Then, Tyler you rap into the camera when the words come in, and Josh you start drumming." 

Josh motioned for Jordan to walk over to him, "Would it be okay if I mute the drums? They're just really loud." Jordan nodded his head, "Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem." Josh started talking again, "Also, whatever the playback volume is set at, if you could turn it down 20% that would be great." Jordan nodded his head again, "Okay, I'll go turn that down now, so I don't forget." "Thank you." 

Jordan walked away to mess with the settings, while Josh muted all of his drums. He didn't want Tyler to get over stimulated while they were filming, and breakdown on the set. So, he was trying to prevent anything he saw as a potential trigger. Jordan walked back over to them, "Okay, everyone in positions!" The dancers placed the plastic tarps over Tyler and Josh, then waited for the music to start playing. The opening notes started, and Josh was very relieved that he asked for the volume to be turned down, because it was still slightly loud after being turned down. 

"And, Action!" Jordan yelled from behind the camera. The tarps were pulled off of Tyler and Josh, and Tyler looked directly into the camera above him as he rapped the first verse. There was a second camera facing Josh, capturing how he played the drums at the beginning of the song. Jordan yelled "Cut!" right before Tyler yelled 'swat'. 

"Okay, guys that looked great! For the next scene, Tyler, you're going to walk through the crowd of dancers while they reach out to you trying to pull you back. Then you're going to stand off by yourself and you can do whatever you want there. Josh, just keep playing the drums, and dancers will walk past and surround you." Jordan went to talk to the dancers, and Josh looked over at Tyler's face, immediately knowing the problem. "You can do this, Ty. I believe in you. I promise it won't be that bad, it's going to to last a couple of seconds." 

Tyler nodded his head, and took a deep breath, then made his was over to the dancers. The camera was rolling and he walked through the crowd of dancers, with his hands together. He finally let out the breath he took, when Jordan said the footage looked good. 

They did more scenes of Tyler by himself, walking around and awkwardly dancing. He couldn't help when his hands flapped during some of the scenes, because everything going on was very distressing. However, Jordan said the footage looked good, and they kept it. They also recorded more footage of Josh drumming throughout the song.

Jordan walked up to him and Josh again, "Okay, the next section we need to film will be a close up on Tyler. The dancers are going to move theirs hands around your head and face while you rap and sing, then I need a take of you screaming. It's going to be inserted throughout the video at different sections. Josh looked at Tyler who was shaking his head 'no', "No, I- No. No." Jordan had spoken to Mark when he was hired to direct the video, and Josh wasn't sure how much Mark told him about Tyler, but that fact that he didn't like to be touched apparently did not come up. 

Jordan looked at Josh, who mouthed 'later'. Thankfully, Jordan took the hint, "Actually, I think we should film a different scene right now. Tyler, follow me over here please. Josh watched from across the room as Tyler's face dropped when the noose prop was pulled out of a box. Tyler then layed down on a small platform, and the noose was held around his neck. A camera was above his head and he rapped part of the second verse of the song. He immediately sat up, pulled the noose off of his neck as soon as Jordan yelled, "Cut!" 

Tyler bent over with his head in his hands, while he sat on the platform. A woman who instructed the dancers walked over to him, "Are you alright?" He nodded, "Do you want some water?" He sat up the rest of the way, "No." Jordan then walked over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder that he immediately removed when Tyler flinched away from the touch. "We're almost done, I promise." 

Tyler was happy to take a break while the dancers filmed a scene holding onto the noose. Jordan walked back up to them, "We only need to film a couple more scenes, then we're finished. Tyler, I promise this will be a short as possible. We're combing all the scenes like this into one take, so you only need to do it once. You're going to look at the camera while you rap the second half of the first verse, then I need you to scream 'entertain my faith' a couple of times, then one of the dancers is going to push you backwards and you're going to fall into theirs arms, okay? Then I promise for the rest of the day, nobody is going to touch you, okay?" 

Tyler weakly nodded after he got a small smile of encouragement from Josh. He made his was over to the dancers, and stood in front of them. Jordan called 'action' as the music started, and Tyler rapped his part. The dancers had their hands moving across his face and their touch burned. The music changed quickly to the bridge, and Tyler screamed, "Entertain my faith!" 

He screamed the line a couple of times, then he got pushed back into the arms of the dancers. His own arms flapped and all he wanted was for Jordan to call 'cut'. Eventually he did, and Tyler stood up scratching his nails back and forth across his collar bone repetitively. He walked over to Jordan and Josh, "Tyler, that was excellent! You really looked like you were in pain during the end of the take. Good work." Josh smiled along, but he knew Tyler wasn't acting. 

"Okay, now you two need to get your faces painted like skeletons, and after we shoot that we're finished shooting footage." Jordan walked away, then Tyler followed Josh over to the woman who was supposed to paint their faces. Josh got in the chair first, knowing Tyler still needed time to calm down. The woman slowly painted his face, turned him into a skeleton. It took her around ten minutes to complete, making sure everything looked perfect. 

Josh thanked her, then got out of the chair so Tyler could sit down. Tyler sat down in the chair, and looked warily at the paintbrush. The woman brought the brush up to his face, and dragged it across his forhead. Tyler moved away from her, and cowered in on himself, bringing his hands up to cover his ears, "I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't!" 

Josh waited for him to get out of the repetitive speech cycle, then stepped forward. "Tyler, you're okay. She's done, she's not going to touch you, okay? You don't have to get your face painted, just breathe." 

Jordan jogged over to them, looking at Josh for answers. The woman with the face paint quickly and quietly explained what happened. "Tyler, you don't have to have your face painted, I'll edit it in, okay?" Josh threw a quick 'thank you' over his shoulder as he gently pulled Tyler's hands away from his face, and held them in his own. 

"Josh, I'm going to get a little recording of you playing your drums with your face painted, and Tyler, I have enough footage from earlier to work with, so you can be done." Tyler weekly nodded his head, relieved to be finished. Josh shot the footage with his face painted, then cleaned his face off with makeup wipes. 

They thanked Jordan, and the dancers, as well as everyone else who helped, then left the studio. 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments, subscribe!! 
> 
> LEAVE ME REQUESTS!!!
> 
> Check out my other stories!!
> 
> Stay Alive, A.


	12. Dinner 'n Dizzy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Dominic_Duck_Dongle_ftm and thisisnotwhatihadplanned for the chapter idea! 
> 
> This story now has over 100 kudos and I'm now over 100 days self harm free, let's celebrate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, school has been killing me, and I've been having migraines. 
> 
>  
> 
> Feedback gives me motivation to keep writing.

Fun Fact: the second half of this chapter is exactly how my 16th birthday went :/ 

 

Josh was spending the day at Tyler’s house, then they were both heading over to Mark's apartment to watch the finished music video. He was sitting on a couch, next to Tyler, in the family room. Zack was sitting in the recliner chair next to the couch, while they all watched "Lord Of The Rings". There was loud talking coming from the kitchen due to the conversation between Tyler’s parents and his other two siblings. 

Josh's ears picked up on the low humming coming from Tyler that slowly and steadily got louder as he tried to balance out the sensory input. Zack spoke from across the room, not once taking his eyes off of the tv, "Tyler, you're driving me crazy." 

He was quick to stop humming, "Sorry." A couple minutes later the humming returned as Tyler involuntarily tried to even out all of the noise. "You're doing it again." He looked over at him. Josh watched the interaction between the two brothers, trying to figure out if he should have intervened. They returned to the movie, and Josh noticed how Tyler started slightly rocking back and forth as the minutes went by. Eventually he started humming again, and Zack only sighed. Zack knew Tyler couldn't help it, but that didn't make it any less irritating. 

Jay then came running into the room holding a realistic drawing that Josh was very impressed by. Jay was only twelve, so he was still in the awkward adolescent phase, but damn could he draw. "Tyler, look I finished it!" Tyler’s hands flew up by his head momentarily, but he took the picture from his younger brother after he got over the initial shock. "It looks awesome!" A huge smile appeared on Jays face once he got the stamp of approval from Tyler. 

The drawing was a piano under a spotlight, with a silhouette of a person, he assumed was supposed to be Tyler. "I'm going to hang this up in my room." Jay's smile got even bigger. "How long did this take?" Jay thought for a moment before he said, "An hour." Tyler looked up at him with wide eyes, then asked seriously, "Really?" Jay laughed, "No, not an hour! It took like ten hours! I was being sarcastic." Tyler continued to examine the drawing, and chose to ignore the fact that he didn't pick up on the sarcasm his brother used.

Chris walked into the room, “Tyler, come help me carry these boxes downstairs, please.” Tyler hated their basement. It was unfinished so there were pipes and filters that ran along the wall all running at a different frequency. He also did not like all of the lights that flickered on the ceiling. To put it simply, Tyler didn't go down in the basement unless he needed to. The look on Tyler’s face said exactly that. Chris started to leave the room, heading towards the kitchen, “Come on, you're perfectly capable of helping out around here.” 

Tyler followed his dad into the kitchen to pick up one of the boxes, then went down into the basement. He followed him to the back of the room, and they placed the boxes in the corner. Once the boxes were on the ground, the water filter started whistling at a horrible frequency. Tyler covered his ears and closed his eyes as the filter continued to squeal. Chris took ahold on his son's shoulders, directing him back to the stairs. They walked back up the stairs, and not one time did Tyler remove his hands from over his ears. He walked passed Zack and Josh in the family room, then went up the stairs all the way to his room. 

After a few minutes, Josh stood up and made his way up the stairs. He walked into Tyler’s room to find him slightly hunched over in his bed, petting their dog. “Hey, Ty.” Tyler didn't acknowledge him at all, so he just walked over and sat down on his bed. “I don't want Zack to get mad at me. He's in a bad mood today.” Josh nodded his head, “Do you want to head over to Mark's place early?” Tyler looked up and sighed, “No, my mom wants us to stay for dinner. Maddy cooked tonight and she wants us to try it.”   
They hung out in Tyler’s room until they were called down for dinner. They walked into the kitchen, and were ushered over to the table by Maddy, “Go sit down. I cooked tonight, so I want to serve everyone.” Tyler and Josh sat down at the table, and waited for her to bring over their food. After a couple of minutes she walked over to the table with two plates. She placed one in front of each of them. A small smile made its way onto Josh’s face when he noticed that she evenly spaced out all of the food on Tyler’s plate. Maddy made barbecue chicken in the oven, taco salad, and cut up cantaloupe. Once everyone received their plates, they said a prayer and started their meal. 

Josh was very impressed with Maddy’s cooking, as they ate. Everything she made was really delicious. She looked around the table as everyone ate, and immediately noticed the look on Tyler’s face as he stared at the taco salad on his plate. “Tyler, you don't have to eat it. It's okay.” He looked up and met eyes with his sister. A small smile spread across his face, because he was grateful. It wasn't that he didn't like her cooking, he just didn't like how slimy and cold, and brightly colored the stupid taco salad was. It made him feel sick when he thought about eating it. 

After dinner, Josh drove himself and Tyler over to Mark's apartment. They were sitting on Mark’s couch while he was setting up the computer. Josh’s stomach hurt as he thought about the video. It was their first music video, what if people thought it was stupid? What if it never even got any views? What if they wasted their time and money making it? What if they never really made it big? 

“Josh?” He turned his head to see Tyler staring at him confused. He gave him a smile smile for reassurance because he was supposed to protect Tyler. A couple of minutes later Mark turned around, “Josh, are you alright?” Josh nodded his head because he was not able to give a verbal response. “Are you sure?” He weakly shook his head ‘no’ because his heart rate was extremely high and his chest felt heavy. Mark walked closer to him, “Hey, what's wrong?” 

Josh shook his head again as it became harder to breathe. Mark noticed, and was quick to take action, “Hey, you're alright. It's going to be okay.” A forced whine then started leaving his throat with every breath he took. Tyler didn't like that. He didn't like it at all. He reached his hands up to pull on his hair while he watched the scene. 

Josh had slowly put his head down when he started hyperventilating. “No, Josh, you need to keep your head up. That is only going to make it worse, come on, look at me.” He couldn't breathe no matter how hard he tried, and it was making him dizzy. It became harder and harder for him to focus, as everything around him became a blur. His vision was tinted with tears that involuntarily ran from his eyes, and his ears were filled with the agonizing sound of his struggle to breathe. 

Mark had his hands on Josh’s shoulders, trying to get him to sit back because it would be easier for him to breathe. He had to pull one of his hands away from Josh to tug Tyler’s hands away from his hair. “He's fine, I promise, Tyler. Just relax, everything is okay.” Mark then yelled out again, “Crap!” 

Josh had slumped forward on to Mark. He had hyperventilated so long, that his brain took over and he passed out. Mark listened as Josh’s breathing returned to normal. His brain caught up with the situation, “Tyler, you need to go get the garbage can.” Tyler was still on the couch, trying to recover from so much agitation. “Tyler, please. I can't get up right now.” He slowly got off of the couch, and walked into the kitchen. Josh was still unconscious, and started gagging. “Tyler!” Tyler quickly reentered the room and gave Mark the garbage can in enough time to put in front of Josh’s mouth before he threw up. 

Mark had known Josh long enough to know that he threw up after every time he passed out. Josh woke up around three minutes later, claiming he was tired, so Mark let him take a nap on his couch. They never did end up watching the music video. 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos comment subscribe 
> 
> Stay Alive, A.


	13. They Call Her Jenna Black: Part. One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I PROMISE I DIDN'T FORGET ABOUT THIS!! I have just been SUPER busy! 
> 
> Part two will be coming soon! 
> 
> If you ever need to talk or have any questions, feel free to message me on Twitter @Nobody_Music_19 
> 
> Thank you for the chapter idea couldyoupleaseleave!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> COMMENTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO A WRITER

Tyler and Josh were backstage at a venue before a show they were playing. It was going to be their biggest show yet, and Josh was sitting on the couch nervous bouncing his leg, while Tyler walked around the room excitedly flapping his arms and making noises; trying to get it all out of his system. He was not having the best day sensory wise, and everything felt like a lot. He used to be really embarrassed about stimming in front of Josh, but he quickly learned that with all of the time they were constantly spending together, it was going to happen sooner or later. Not to mention, Josh made it abundantly clear that it was completely okay to do. 

Josh looked up when someone knocked on the door three times, then it opened. Mark walked in, then sat on the couch across from Josh, “Hey, Tyler, quick meeting.” Tyler walked over and sat down on the couch next to Mark. He only made it a couple of seconds before his right hand flapped by his head, then made its way in between his teeth, which he processed to bite down on.

Josh’s eyes grew wide as he watched his friend. Mark then pointed across the room, “Okay, go, stim away, we'll catch you up later.” Josh had slowly figured out throughout the weeks that when Tyler got overly excited, it almost always turned into an overwhelming feeling, which typically did not turn out well for anyone. 

Josh watched as Tyler walked back over to where he was originally standing, then he turned to face Mark. “Okay, so I guess this is a little bit of a problem at the moment since Tyler’s kinda worked up, but you guys have an interview before the show.” Josh looked at him as if he were crazy, “What?! Mark! You sorta forgot to mention that.” He groaned, “What time?” Mark looked down at the watch he didn't have on his wrist, then cleared his throat, “Umm, now.” Josh groaned again. “What?! I saw an opportunity, and I took it. You guys have never been interviewed before, this is a big deal.” 

Josh held his head in his hands, “Yeah, it is. Which is why a little heads up would have been nice.” Mark stood up from his spot on the couch, “Sorry Josh, but you guys need to do this, trust me.” Mark left the room, then Josh turned to face Tyler. “Hey, Ty? We have an interview soon, do you think you'll be okay to answer a couple of questions?” Tyler didn't even stop walking to look at him, “I can, I can, I can, I can.” Josh closed his eyes, and tried not to imagine every single scenario of what could go wrong. 

A couple of minutes later, there was a quiet knock on the door, before it opened to reveal a tall, lean woman with blond hair. When she started walking into the room, Tyler made his way back over to the couch. The woman approached Josh first, “Hi, my name is Jenna Black, and I'd like to do a small interview if that's okay with you. I work for the venue and was very excited when I heard you were coming to play here. I saw your show a couple of months ago, and it was amazing!” Josh smiled at her, “Thank you.” Jenna took a seat on the couch opposite from Tyler and Josh, “Okay, let's get started. This is going to be an audio only interview, so if we could take a quick picture afterwards for the thumbnail, that would be great.” She pulled out her cell phone, and held it out in front of her, “I'm here today with Twenty One Pilots! Tyler, Josh, how are you guys doing today?” 

Josh cleared his throat, “We’re doing great! We are going to play our biggest show ever in about an hour, and we're super excited.” Jenna smiled at him. She then turned to face Tyler, who was sitting on his hands, “Can you talk a little bit about the single you recently released called “House Of Gold”? Tyler nodded his head, “I wrote it for my mom.” Jenna smiled encouragingly as if to say to go on. Luckily Josh noticed, and added more information, “The song is mostly talking about how we much we care about our parents.” Josh watched out of the corner of his eye as Tyler’s hand made its way up to his hair, twisting and pulling on the stands. Jenna moved the phone closer to Tyler, “Are there any plans of releasing anymore new music anytime soon?” Tyler nodded his head, “Yes.” Jenna waited a moment, then added, “Is there anything else you'd like to add to that?” Tyler quickly shook his head ‘no’ causing his fingers to pull harder on his hair. 

Jenna then turned back to Josh, “Are there any tours planned for the future.” Josh nodded just as the air conditioner kicked on. “Yeah, we're definitely planning on taking every opportunity we have to perform.” He glanced sideways when his ears picked up on Tyler humming at the same frequency as the air conditioner. He turned back to Jenna, who had a look of understanding on her face. “We can end the interview early, or I can come back after the show if that works better for the both of you.” Josh was about to deny the offer, but he caught a glimpse of Tyler, who had hunched over on the couch, cowering in on himself. 

“After the show would probably work better for us.” She nodded, and smiled lightly as she stood up. Josh placed a hand on Tyler’s shoulder, and he flinched away from the touch. “Hey, Ty, we're going to do the interview later. You can do whatever you need to do now.” Tyler remained where he was at, so Josh stood up and followed Jenna out the door. 

They were standing in the hallway just outside of the door, “Just let me know if you're interested in doing the interview after the show. If he's not feeling up to it, I totally understand.” Josh nodded his head, “I will, thank you for being patient with us.” Jenna smiled brightly at him, “Oh course! I hope I have the chance to talk with you guys after the show.” “I'm sure Tyler will be good to go after the show.” Jenna nodded her head, her blond hair moving with the wind, “Well if today doesn't work, we can always reschedule for a different day.” Josh looked at her somewhat shocked, “That's really kind of you to offer.” Jenna only smiled, “Well if Tyler is having a bad sensory day, he probably doesn't want to talk to me anyway.” 

The shock must have been written of Josh’s face, because she added, “He's on the spectrum, isn't he?” Josh slowly nodded his head, “Yeah, he, uh, yeah... How?” “Oh, I'm taking an American Sign Language class in college, so I have been aiding in different special education classes for the hearing impaired students at different elementary schools. Many of the classrooms have a few students on the autism spectrum, so I just kinda picked up on it.” Josh’s mouth formed an ‘o’ shape in realization. 

He cleared his throat, “If you could leave that out of your interview-” She cut him off, “Oh of course! Yeah, I would never put that in there.” Josh nodded and smiled, “Okay, well I hope to talk with you later.” Jenna grinned, “The same goes for you. I'm excited for the show.” Josh thanked her, then dissappeared back into the dressing room with Tyler. 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments, subscribe, share!
> 
> Stay Alive, A


	14. The Blurryface Era Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Tyler’s birthday, I had to update.
> 
> Let me know what you think, I came up with this one.
> 
> Also, I found this song today called "Sing To Me" by MISSIO, go listen to it, it's seriously amazing!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The time has come...
> 
> For a time skip.

Tyler and Josh did end up rescheduling their interview with Jenna, and it went really well. A few months had passed since then, and a LOT had happened. Twenty One Pilots officially signed a record deal with Fueled By Ramon, and shortly after that they released a new album titled ‘Vessel’. Not only were they starting to gain fame, but a song on the album titled ‘Holding Onto You’, which had been released as a single a couple of months earlier, even started playing on numerous radio stations. They were quickly gaining a following across America, and were selling out small venues across the country. They had a show scheduled in California that sold a little over two hundred tickets, and they were beyond excited to perform. Tyler and Josh both knew that if they continued on the path they were on, they were going to make it. 

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ 

Several years later was when they knew they made it. Everywhere they looked they saw ‘Twenty One Pilots’. Magazine articles, newspapers, facebook, instagram, online websites. They were slowly taking over the musical world, and all of their hard work was finally starting to pay off.

 

2016

“...A breakthrough artist...”

“...Twenty One Pilots…”

“...‘Stressed Out’ is a worldwide breakthrough…”

“...Musical duo from Columbus, Ohio…” 

“...Breakthrough success…”

“...Frontman Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun…”

“...Come out of nowhere…”

“...rap, reggae, electro, pop, rock, alternative, hip hop…” 

“...’Blurryface’ (2015) album…”

“...Alternative Rock band…”

“...Defying genres…”

“...Nominated for three Grammys…” 

 

Everything was coming together.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ 

2017

Tyler and Josh were finally considered celebrities. They weren't ‘famous’ persé, because they could still go to the grocery store by themselves, but they were definitely having an impact on the world. 

◇ ◆ ◇

Tyler was sitting next to Josh on an airplane. They were scheduled to play a show in The United Kingdom, so they had to take a flight to get there. Flying was something that was definitely new to both of them, and neither of the males could say they were particularly fond of it. 

° • ° • °

A couple months earlier, there was a video on YouTube for approximately thirty eight hours of Josh having a panic attack on an airplane, before their label got it taken down. However, that didn't prevent the numerous articles that were written about the ordeal before the video was taken off of Youtube. 

Up to that point, Josh had decided not to talk about his mental health to the general public. Tyler had chosen to do the same thing. He had not addressed the fact that he is autistic to any interviewer or magazine, because he did not want a label defying their music. He was not ashamed, but that didn't change the fact that the label ‘autistic singer’ would be plastered all over the internet regardless of what they achieved. They had been lucky up until that point, eliminating triggers and preventing meltdowns in public, but Josh knew it was bound to happen eventually, and deep down he knew Tyler knew that too. Some people had picked up on the little things, but they always laughed it off as ‘Tyler’s crazy stage presence’ and him ‘really getting into his music’. No one had ever even considered the possibility that their hero could have something like autism, due to the ridiculous stigma surrounding the word. 

Most scholars believe that Mozart was on the autism spectrum, and he was one of the greatest musicians who ever lived. Josh had absolutely no problem stating that simple fact (in a not so polite manner) to every single person at the label who questioned Tyler’s ability to be a successful musician after they found out he's on the autism spectrum. Josh would also have absolutely no problem informing that little fact to anyone else in the world who has the nerve to question Tyler’s ability to be successful in the music industry, or any other aspect of life for that matter. 

° • ° • ° 

Tyler watched as Josh’s knee bounced up and down, up and down, up and down. They were getting close to landing, and that always made Josh nervous. Tyler had earbuds in his ears and he tapped his finger along to the Death Cab for Cutie album he was listening to. He looked out the window and watched as the plane got lower and lower to the landing platform. He brought his hand up to rest his chin on, and immediately moved it away after his fingers grazed over the stubble on his face. To put it short, Tyler did not like facial hair even a little bit. However, at that point he was twenty eight years old, so it was kind of inevitable. He made a mental note to shave as soon as they made it to the hotel. 

The plane shook slightly as it made contact with the landing platform, and Tyler watched as Josh sighed a breath of relief and visibly relaxed. It took awhile before they were allowed to exit the plane, but once they got off, security quickly stood by their sides. They started walking through the airport because they needed to pick up their luggage before they could leave, and their security guards remained two steps behind them. Tyler kept his earbuds in as they walked, not particularly wanting to deal with all of the noise. It wasn't until they rounded a corner that all hell broke loose. 

Josh looked over alarmed when he heard around thirty girls all scream at the same time. Josh’s eyes widened as he watched a mob of around fifty people come stampeding towards them, followed by paparazzi. It was like everyone was moving in slow motion. The two security guards stepped in front of Tyler and Josh to block off the people, but there was only so much they could do. 

The group of people finally reached them after what felt like hours, and there were so many hands and arms reaching for them, touching them, pulling on them. The people were screaming their names trying to be louder than the person next to them to get the band's attention. Posters and markers were being shoved in their faces. It was complete and utter chaos. And worst of all, it had never happened before, so they had no preparation or frame of reference of what to expect. 

Tyler let his hands cover his ears out of impulse, and he dropped his iPhone in the process, causing it to shatter on the tile floor. His earbuds were roughly pulled from his ears when his phone fell, so any peace and grounding he had left from the music was gone. He felt exposed. Tyler tightly closed his eyes, as he cowered in on himself. Whining was coming from his throat as their security guards yelled, trying to get everyone to back up. Some of the crowd stopped yelling and trying to touch Tyler once they figured out that something was obviously wrong. However, others took that as their opportunity to make their way to him. 

Josh was equally as freaked out as so many people surrounded him, but he shoved hands away out of instinct, and loudly told people to back up. His anxiety was through the roof and he felt like he was close to having a panic attack, but he held on with all of his strength because he knew there was a much bigger problem in that moment. He also knew that the fans were not intentionally trying to hurt them, and they were just overly excited, but that fact did absolutely nothing for the situation they were in. A couple of people had their cell phones out, and were recording the whole ordeal. Flights were being announced over the loudspeakers, which did not help their situation in any way shape or form. Josh looked over when he heard Tyler continuously yell ‘stop it’ around ten times. One of their security guards had an arm wrapped around Tyler, trying to block him from the crowd of people. 

Josh pushed his way forward through the crowd, towards Tyler, just as the palm of Tyler’s hand connected with his head for the first time. The security guard then helped lower him onto the ground, when his legs decided he didn't want to be standing aymore. The screaming from the mob of people had almost completely stopped after Tyler hit himself another two times. 

Josh positioned himself in front of Tyler on the floor, “Hey, hey, hey, you're okay. You can stim all you want, just no more hitting. Tyler, come on you're okay.” Josh eventually reached forward taking ahold of Tyler’s wrists in his hands, after it became clear that Tyler was not going to be able to get out of the cycle of hitting himself anytime soon. Painful whining was coming from his throat, and it was only then that Josh noticed Tyler had started crying. It wasn't unusual, however. Crying generally always occurred during his meltdowns because of all of the emotions and agitation not properly regulated. 

Josh was still holding onto Tyler’s wrists, but that didn't stop Tyler from pulling his hand towards himself and sinking his teeth into the skin of his forearm. He continued to whine and cry as physical pain was added to the list of reasons why he was having a meltdown. Josh sighed, then let go of Tyler’s wrists, knowing that restraining him for so long was not going to help matters. Tyler bit his arm for a second time once he was free, then his arms quickly flapped for a moment in front of his chest, before making their way back up to cover his ears. There was not that much noise by that point, but just the pressure created from covering his ears was helpful to calm down.

They were receiving judgemental stares from many people walking by, and equally as many sympathetic smiles. After all, Tyler was an adult male sitting on the floor hitting and biting himself.

He slowly hunched over more and more as time went by until his forehead was pressed up against one of his knees, the other one he was sitting on. He was rocking slightly on the floor, hands still over his ears. After a couple of minutes he began humming quietly, which relieved Josh because it did not sound nearly as agitated as he thought it was going to be. Josh then took a moment to pick up Tyler’s shattered cell phone, and slide it into his pocket. 

Quite a few people in the group had left, leaving only around thirty five people behind. Most of them sat down on the floor as well, trying to be respectful of the situation. 

Eventually, Tyler looked up from his spot on the floor. Josh smiled down at him encouragingly, then moved backwards to give him some space. He then mouthed ‘headphones’ to which Tyler nodded, so Josh turned around and pulled a pair of black headphones out of a backpack. He slowly handed them over to Tyler, who placed them on his head over his ears. It took another couple of minutes, but Tyler did manage to sit up and look over at the crowd people who were also sitting on the floor. A couple of girls were crying and it didn't take long before they started calling out apologies. Tyler flinched, then Josh held a finger up to his lips, and that's all it took that time to get everyone to stop talking. 

Tyler didn't say anything in response. He did not feel comfortable talking at that point in time, so he simply didn't. Several minutes after that, he managed to stand up and shakily walk with Josh the rest of the way across the airport, and into a car while their security guards picked up their luggage. 

Once they got into the car, Tyler covered his face with his hands and sighed, then Josh took a moment to inspect the teeth indents on his arms. Thankfully, he did not draw any blood, so there were not any serious injuries. Josh intertwined their fingers and started lightly rubbing the back of Tyler’s hand with his thumb , happy when Tyler did not pull his hand away.

“Everything's going to be okay. We'll figure it out together.” 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments, subscribe, share! 
> 
> Stay Alive, A.


	15. Trending On Twitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I keep seeing people on twitter and instagram talk about how Tyler has ADHD.
> 
> Does anyone know if that's actually true/ have the supposed interview where he talks about it?
> 
> Thanks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I used lyrics for all of the @'s because I didn't feel like coming up with something creative for all of them.
> 
>  
> 
> Comments are very much appreciated! 
> 
> Leave me suggestions please and thank you!!

Tyler was sitting on the left queen sized bed in their hotel room. The curtains were closed, the lights were off, and he was slowly rocking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. 

Josh was sitting on the right queen sized bed in their hotel room. He was watching Tyler. 

After the whole incident at the airport, they went directly to their hotel room. Tyler had remained slightly agitated the entire ride there, and he still hadn't entirely calmed down. He hadn't spoken much since they arrived at the hotel, so Josh was keeping an eye on him in case he started hurting himself again. 

Josh opened the twitter app on his cell phone, and grimaced as his predictions were proven true. #IsTylerJosephOkay was trending at number two worldwide. He clicked on the tag and was met with videos upon videos of Tyler’s meltdown at the airport. He scrolled through the various tweets before clicking on one to look through the comments and see what people were saying.

___________________________________

Jacøb @addictwithatwitter  
THIS IS SUCH A SCARY VIDEO! DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON?!!?  
#IsTylerJosephOkay

pic.twitter.com/ghSn22pK7Axcy8 

___________________________________  
Abby @demønsandangles

Replying to @addictwithatwitter   
Idk but I'm literally crying!! #IsTylerJosephOkay  
___________________________________  
Sarah @whatwewanttosee

Replying to @addictwithatwitter  
Poor Tyler! He looks so scared! #IsTylerJosephOkay  
___________________________________  
Jamie @aDROPofLIFE

Replying to @addictwithatwitter  
My mom is a child psychologist and said it looks like he's having an autistic meltdown. #IsTylerJosephOkay  
___________________________________  
Kara @gøtaløtøfprøblems

Replying to @addictwithatwitter, @aDROPofLIFE  
Tyler has autism??? #IsTylerJosephOkay  
____________________________________  
Alex @climaxtothestory 

Replying to @addictwithatwitter, @aDROPofLIFE, @gøtaløtøfprøblems  
Tyler isn't autistic #IsTylerJosephOkay  
____________________________________  
Andrew @silentinthetrees

Replying to @addictwithatwitter, @aDROPofLIFE, @climaxtothestory   
How do you know?! A lot of people who  
have autism accomplish just as much as everyone else! #IsTylerJosephOkay  
____________________________________  
Marissa @imeviltothecore 

Replying to @addictwithatwitter, @aDROPofLIFE  
I never knew Tyler was stupid #IsTylerJosephOkay  
____________________________________  
Ray @itscolderinsideyourhead

Replying to @addictwithatwitter, @aDROPofLIFE, @imeviltothecore   
TYLER IS NOT STUPID! HE IS THE EXACT SAME PERSON HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN! EVEN IF HE IS AUTISTIC, HE IS STILL TYLER!!! #IsTylerJosephOkay  
_____________________________________

 

The tweets went on and on, and eventually Josh closed out of the app. His stomach growled loudly, which caused him to glance over at the digital clock on the nightstand. 

4:47 p.m. 

He had not eaten anything for lunch because of the plane ride and he was definitely ready for an early dinner. He looked over towards Tyler and found that he had laid face down on the bed, and had his right hand lightly twisting his strands of hair. “Tyler?” Josh called out. Tyler still had his headphones over his ears, but must have been able to hear because he turned his head toward Josh. Tyler had a blank unreadable expression on his face, so Josh could not quite tell how he was feeling.

“I know you're not having the best day, but do you think you feel up to going out to dinner? It's getting kinda late and we never had lunch.” Josh asked from where he was sitting on the bed. Tyler gave no sign of a response, so Josh added, “I think it may help to go outside, get some fresh air, clear your head a little.” 

Tyler rolled over and sat up, then rubbed his face with his hands. Josh spoke again, “I'll look up the restaurants in the area and find some place quiet.” Tyler breathed out of his nose, then nodded his head ‘yes’. 

▪ ° ▪ ° ▪ 

Not long after that, Tyler and Josh were in a car with their security guards heading towards ‘Olive Garden’. Out of all of the restaurants close by, they decided ‘Olive Garden’ would be the most calm and quiet environment. Tyler had been repetitively running his hands back and forth over his arms the entire car ride, which made Josh second guess if going out was a good idea at all.

They were not exactly up to the dress code of the restaurant, but neither of them really cared. Josh was wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and gym shoes, none of which were considered fancy. Tyler was wearing gym shoes, joggers, and a black sweatshirt. He kept the hood up, covering his headphones because he did not want to take them off of his ears. Luckily, his headphones were a slim fit over his ears, a much improved design compared to the bulky pair he had as a kid, so his sweatshirt hood easily fit over the top. 

They walked inside with their security guards and were immediately greeted by a hostess. “Hello, welcome to Olive Garden, four for today?” Josh shook his head ‘no’, “Only two please.” 

Their security guards preferred to stay in the distance and give Tyler and Josh some space. They did not like to feel as if they were intruding, regardless of the countless times Tyler and Josh had reassured them that they were always welcome. 

The hostess picked up two menus and smiled, “Okay, you follow me this way.” Josh started speaking before she turned around, “Would it be at all possible to have a table away from the other guests where it's a little quieter?” The woman looked a little surprised, most likely from not receiving the request before, but nodded nonetheless. “Of course, right this way.” They followed her through the restaurant, passing countless people, until they arrived at a booth towards the back of the restaurant. They each sat on a side of the booth, then the hostess handed them their menus, “Your server's name is Austin and he will be over here shortly.” Tyler looked up after she walked away and found their security guards standing against a wall across the room. 

The lights were all set to dim, which Tyler appreciated very much that particular day. Josh opened his menu, then looked across the table at Tyler. Tyler still had his hood over his head, and Josh knew it was acting as a safety barrier between Tyler and the rest of the world. “Do you know what you want to order?” Josh asked. Tyler shook his head ‘no’ as he continued to flip through the pages of the menu. They both looked up when a young blond man approached their table. He appeared to be in either his late teens or early twenties. “Hello, my name is Austin. I'm going to be taking care of you tonight. Can I start you both off with some drinks?” he asked, opening a small notebook.

Josh didn't miss the recognition that flashed across Austin’s face when he saw them. He knew exactly who they were. Although, Austin didn't say anything revealing the fact that he knew their identities, so Josh started to order his drink. “I would like a Sprite please.” Austin wrote it down in his notebook, then turned to Tyler, “And for you?” Tyler looked in his general direction, not necessarily wanting to make eye contact, “Water please.” Tyler normally always ordered a Pepsi, but at that moment he did not particularly want the fizzy feeling in his mouth that came along with drinking pop.

Austin finished writing, then put his notebook in his pocket, “Okay, I'll be right back with your drinks and your breadsticks.” He walked away, and Josh looked back at Tyler. “He knows who we are,” Josh said. Tyler looked up,” How do you know?” “I saw it on his face when he came over here.” Josh then ran a hand over the back of his neck. It was very hot in the restaurant, so he was sweating a little. He assumed Tyler was probably on fire because he was wearing a sweatshirt, but didn't want to take it off because it was like a shield. 

“It's pretty hot in here.” Tyler looked up, then nodded. “Do you want to take your sweatshirt off?” Josh asked, studying Tyler’s face. He shook his head ‘no’, “I don't want people to think I'm weird.” Josh looked at him confused, “Why would anyone think you're weird?” Tyler rested his head on his arms, “Because. I don't want to take my headphones off, and if I take my sweatshirt off then people can see them.” Josh paused for a moment, “Hey, look at me.” He waited until Tyler glanced his way before he continued talking, “Nobody is going to think you're weird. And if they do, I'll beat them up. Besides, we're in the back of the restaurant, and nobody else is over here.” 

They were interrupted when Austin came back carrying their drinks and basket of breadsticks. He set everything on the table, “Here you go. Are you ready to order?” Tyler sat up and nodded. Josh ordered first, “Can I have the spaghetti and meatballs please?” Austin wrote it down, then turned to Tyler. “The chicken fettuccine Alfredo please.” Austin nodded, “Okay, I'll go put the order in and be back shortly.” 

Josh waited for him to walk away, then started speaking too Tyler again, “Tyler, I really don't want you to get overheated and pass out. And don't say that won't happen, because it has happened before and you know it.” Tyler groaned, then wiped at the sweat on his forehead he only then noticed. “Okay, fine,” he said after realizing just how hot he actually was. He pulled the hood down, then pulled his arms through the sleeves and pulled the sweatshirt over his head. “Thank you,” Josh said from across the table. Tyler set his sweatshirt next to him on the booth, then rested his chin on his arms. 

It was silent for a couple of minutes before Josh cleared his throat, “I don't want to upset you, but you deserve to know and we need to talk about this.” Josh managed to make brief eye contact with Tyler before he continued, “The video from this morning is all over the internet and it's a part of a trending hashtag worldwide.” Tyler sighed and closed his eyes, “I know. I figured it would be.” 

“Do you want to address it on social media?” Tyler rubbed his face, “Not really, no. It isn't exactly at the top of my priority list to tell our fans that my brain is messed up.” Josh intervened, “Your brain isn't messed up.” Tyler chose to ignore him, then laid his head down on his arms that were resting on the table, “I just don't know what I'm supposed to do.” 

Their conversation was cut short when Austin walked up with their entrées. “Alright, I've got the spaghetti and meatballs,” he said placing the plate in front of Josh. “And the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo.” He placed the plate in front of Tyler, and Josh didn't miss how his eyes lingered on the headphones covering Tyler’s ears for just a second too long. He took a step back and brought his hands together, “Is there anything else I can get for either of you?” Josh looked at Tyler before responding, “No, I think we're okay right now. Thank you though.” Austin smiled at them, “Of course.” Then, he walked away to check on another table. 

Tyler and Josh put their conversation on hold and they dug into their meals. It had been a long tiring day, and they were both happy to enjoy their food. While they were eating, a large group was seated nearby. It was obvious it was a celebration of some sort because there were nearly twenty people. They were being pretty loud, and Josh could tell it was bothering Tyler a little bit. However, they were both almost finished by that point, so they just decided to wait it out. 

Austin walked up to their table, “Can I get you anything, refills, breadsticks?” Josh wiped his face with his napkin, “Just the bill, please.” Austin nodded, “Okay, I'll be right back with that.” Josh watched as some of the children in the large group crawled under the table and chased each other, and he wondered how the parents thought it was acceptable to let their children act like wild animals in public. Tyler laid his head back down on the table, and rhythmically tapped his fingers against his head. Josh could tell he was ready to leave the restaurant, and get away from all of the unbalanced sensory input. 

Austin walked back up to the table with their bill, and handed the case to Josh. “I'll be right back to pick this up.” Josh nodded, and opened the case. $43.72. He set it down on the table, and pulled out his wallet. He took his debit card out of his wallet and placed it in the small sleeve in the case, then closed it and set it on the corner of the table. He looked back over at Tyler, only then hearing his humming. It made sense however. With the headphones over his ears, the humming became the only sound he could hear because it echoed in his head. It also provided him with a physical stimuli as it vibrated in his throat, therefore balancing the surrounding noises made by other people. 

Austin stopped by only to pick up the bill, then headed back towards the front of the restaurant. If Austin wasn't sure who there were before, he was definitely going to know after he saw ‘JOSHUA W. DUN’ printed on his debit card. Josh then took the moment to place a $20 bill on the table as a tip. Austin returned a little after that to give Josh’s debit card back to him. He handed the card to Josh, then his face turned red, “I uh, I'm a fan of your band and was wondering if I could maybe get a picture with you guys before you leave.” Josh smiled at him, then looked at Tyler, “Ty, are you good to take a picture?” Tyler sat up, then looked from Josh to Austin. He nodded his head, then moved to get out of the booth. Their security guards then appeared behind them, and volunteered to take the picture for them. 

Tyler and Josh stood on either side of Austin, but when he moved to put his arms around them Tyler flinched away. Austin immediately apologized as Tyler ran his hands over his arms again and again. After he had a second to collect himself, he moved back next to Austin for the picture. Austin did not touch him that time, but Tyler still didn't exactly look happy in the photo. 

Austin spoke just as they were about to leave, “Thank you guys! And I hope you feel better, Tyler.” Tyler gave him an awkward and somewhat irritated smile, “Thank you.” Then, they left the restaurant. 

▪ ° ▪ ° ▪ 

Later that night, Austin posted the picture on Twitter and it added even more chaos to what was already going on. 

____________________________________

Austin @backincontrol 

I MET TYLER AND JOSH TODAY AT WORK!!!  
@tylerrjoseph @joshuadun !!!!!!

pic.twitter.com/hj8Ko9sRAa2nj 

_____________________________________  
Lila @standinginfrontofyou 

Replying to @backincontrol  
Lucky!! I'm so jealous!!   
_____________________________________  
Riley @takeitslow 

Replying to @backincontrol  
What's with Tyler’s headphones??  
_____________________________________  
Kyle @hopeyourdead 

Replying to @backincontrol, @takeitslow   
They look like the headphones my older sister wears. She's autistic and they block out sound so she doesn't freak out.  
_____________________________________  
Emily @tonightIneedyoutostay

Replying to @backincontrol, @hopeyourdead   
Does that mean Tyler is actually autistic? Because that's what a bunch of people have been saying on here and on Instagram.  
_____________________________________  
Hannah @PurposeStartToSurface

Replying to @backincontrol, @tonightIneedyoutostay   
He might not be, he's never said anything about it before.   
______________________________________  
Will @theresanjnfestation 

Replying to @backincontrol, @PurposeStartToSurface  
Yeah, but looking back on how he acts on stage and in interviews a lot of what he does is normal behavior of someone on the autism spectrum.  
______________________________________  
Amelia @comingtoanend 

Replying to @backincontrol  
Everyone needs to just leave this alone. If Tyler wants to tell us then he will. It's none of our business.  
______________________________________

 

° ▪ ° ▪ °

 

However, not everyone was prodding into Tyler’s personal life. There were just as many people offering much needed love and support.

 

° ▪ ° ▪ °

 

______________________________________  
Anthony @anotherdaygoby

Hey @tylerrjoseph I hope you're doing okay  
______________________________________

○ ○ ○   
______________________________________  
Maisyn @willyoudrownme 

Love you no matter what @tylerrjoseph   
______________________________________

○ ○ ○  
______________________________________  
Anna @exhaledesire

Ready for whatever you choose to tell us @tylerrjoseph we are your #family   
______________________________________

○ ○ ○

 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments, subscribe, share!
> 
> Stay Alive, A.


	16. Not A Strip Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyler’s daughter could potentially be born tonight. Let that sink in.
> 
> READ THE END NOTES!!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hit 100 subscribers between my three stories. Thank you.

Tyler was having a great day. He was all balanced out sensory wise, and was not having much trouble with noises. Twenty One Pilots was playing a sold out arena that night, and Tyler could not be happier. 

Josh was happy for him. The days when Tyler was not bothered by anything were extremely rare, and Josh knew it was a refreshing feeling for him.

They were sitting in their greenroom before the show, and Tyler was doing vocal warm ups to get ready. They had already changed into their stage clothes, and Josh was putting on his red eye makeup. The both looked up when the door opened and Mark stuck his head in, “Five minutes to showtime. You guys ready?” Tyler nodded his head as he continued to warm up his voice, so Mark threw them a thumbs up and closed the door. 

After a couple more minutes of preparation, Tyler and Josh walked down the dark hallway to backstage. They then received their in ear monitors. Tyler’s were custom made. Somewhere along the line of starting to play bigger shows, Tyler stopped wearing his headphones during shows, instead switching to industrial earplugs that blocked out noise. 

They heard the music begin, took a deep breath, and walked out onto the stage.

The show was going great. The energy in the room was unexplainable, and the crowd was fantastic. They made it to the second half of “Trees”, and Tyler and Josh climbed off the stage to stand on the crowd platforms. Tyler was always fine standing on the platforms, but he made it very clear that he was not okay with everyone touching him. So, that marked off being held by the crowd, and crowd surfing off of the realistic possibilities. 

Josh and Tyler made it onto the platforms, and stood up ready for the beat to drop. They both hit the drums as hard as they could when it did, and confetti exploded everywhere. Once the song ended, and the confetti cleared, Josh looked over to Tyler. However, Tyler was not standing on his platform. 

During the last few measures of the song, some of the people holding up Tyler’s platform got a little too excited, causing it to become uneven, and eventually making him fall back into the crowd. People were screaming so loudly, and there were hands everywhere. He could not escape them, they were all over his body. Tyler’s hands flapped in front of his chest, before making their way up to cover his ears. He squeezed his eyes closed tight, and kept his hands firmly over his ears. By that point, security was trying to get him out of the crowd, and not doing a very good job. He could feel the confetti lightly grazing over his skin, and the hands pulling and roaming over him and he did not like that one bit. 

Tyler was extremely overwhelmed at that time, and was not aware of anything going on around him. He did not notice that the music had stopped. He did not notice when the people around him moved away to give him space. 

Josh had quickly climbed off of his platform, and walked up to the closest camera, bringing his finger up to his lips mouthing “quiet” long and drawn out so everyone would be able to read his lips. The arena became completely silent, give or take some quiet whispering. 

The security guards had managed to pick Tyler up and carry him over the barricade to the area between the barricade and the stage. 

Josh then made his way over to him. He crouched down in front of Tyler, “Hey, it's over. You're okay, it's over.” Tyler frantically shook his head ‘no’, “I, I-I, I, I, I-I-I, I, I-” Josh sat down on the floor completely before saying very caring and drawn out, “Tyler, ssssllooowwww down. It's okay. Take your time.” Tyler continued to shake his head. It always amazed Josh in a very upsetting way how quickly Tyler could go from being perfectly calm to a complete train wreck in a matter of seconds. “I, I-I, I, I, I-I ugh!” Tyler yelled out, clearly frustrated. He then removed one of his hands away from over his ear, and Josh was prepared to intervene if he started to hit himself, but instead he pulled on the collar of his jacket. He whined out again clearly frustrated, and Josh immediately got the message, “Hey, hey, let me help. You're okay.” Josh then reached forward and unzipped Tyler’s jacket, then helped him take it off. Tyler’s hand flapped by his chest when he had to remove his other hand from his ear to take his jacket off. However, he didn't stop there, his tanktop quickly followed as he pulled it over his head, exposing his bare chest and stomach. 

Tyler quickly ran his hands over his arms, then brought them back up to his ears. The entire arena remained silent as everyone watched. While the big screens only displayed the tour poster, those in the seated section were high enough up to see the whole fiasco, while those in general admission were close enough to hear everything going on. Tyler ran his hands over his arms again, more urgently than before and a choked sob left his throat. His hands then moved to the button on his pants, and Josh grabbed his wrists. “Tyler, I know you don't feel good, and you're not thinking rationally, but you can't just take your pants off out here.” Tyler shook his head again, this time there were tears, and Josh sighed, “Come on, let's go back to the greenroom, then you can do whatever you need to-” Josh was not even able to finish his sentence before Tyler once again attempted to unbutton his pants. Josh stopped him, “Ty, listen, if you need to take your clothes off then we have to go backstage; these people paid for a concert, not a strip show.” 

Tyler continued to cry, and brought his hands back up to cover his ears. Josh turned around when he felt someone tap his shoulder. Brad, their tour photographer, was holding Tyler’s headphones that he supposedly ran and grabbed out of their greenroom. Josh took the headphones and quickly thanked him, then turned back around to face Tyler. 

“Here, Ty,” Josh said, pulling the headphones apart and placing them over Tyler’s ears. Josh noticed the area suddenly become a lot brighter, and was about to yell at Mark for putting a spotlight on them, but when he looked up it was actually the cell phone lights of almost every single person in the arena, making their presence and support known. It was a sweet gesture, but it did not really help them in that moment. 

After a couple more minutes, Josh was able to get Tyler to stand up, picked his shirt and jacket up off of the floor, then escorted him backstage through a side door. They walked through the long hallways, and were not even through the doorway of the greenroom before Tyler pulled his pants down his legs. Although he did not stop there, because his boxers followed right after. Josh struggled to close the door fast enough to shield his best friend from anyone walking through the hallway. Once the door was closed, Josh turned around and was not sure where he was supposed to look. Afterall, Tyler was sitting on the floor completely naked, running his hands over and over and over his legs. 

Josh did not even have to ask, because he knew exactly what was going on. Tyler would simply tell him that he felt like bugs were crawling under his skin, and both of them knew that there was no way to make it stop other than time. 

The door started to open, and Josh jumped, immediately trying to close it. “Hey! Let me in!” Mark yelled through the door. Josh paused briefly, backing up from the door, then said, “Tyler’s naked.” Mark sighed, then opened the door, stepped inside, and closed it behind him. Mark was holding a black long sleeve muscle shirt, and gray athletic running pants. He handed them to Josh, “I had these in my backpack because I was going to go for a run earlier, but didn't end up going. I figured Tyler would probably appreciate them.” Josh nodded, taking the clothes, “Yeah, thanks.” As an afterthought he added, “It might be awhile, though.” 

They both looked at Tyler, feeling completely helpless to the situation. 

TBC 

*****READ THE END NOTES******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what you guys want me to write, or what to write in general. SO if you want this story to continue then you HAVE TO leave me SUGGESTIONS in the comments. 
> 
> If I do not receive any suggestions, then this story is OVER.   
> I will mark it as completed, and be finished with it. 
> 
> You decide the fate of the story.

**Author's Note:**

> Thought of this today and decided to write it. Let me know if you'd like me to write a second chapter, or possibly a couple more. 
> 
> Kudos, comments, and subscribe. Go check out my other stories! 
> 
> Stay Alive, A.


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